Acacia honey is not vegan. Vegans don’t eat anything made from or made by animals. However, there are exceptions to this rule. Some vegans may eat honey as they are okay with foods made by insects. Eating something must be a personal decision; only you should decide what goes in your body.
What is Acacia Honey?
Acacia honey is made by bees that collect nectar from acacia plants. It is known for its unique taste and light to transparent color. Acacia honey is considered better than other types of honey because of its low sugar content and high flavonoids and phenolic content. Acacia honey is a monofloral honey and is rich in antioxidants.
Why Vegans don’t eat Honey?
Vegans don’t eat honey because it is derived from animals. Veganism is a lifestyle based on cruelty-free practices and justice for animals. Honey farming is a cruel process that involves winging clips, pesticide spraying, and hives burning. Some commercial farms also replace honey with sweeteners like high fructose syrup to increase honey production. This practice starves bees and makes them malnourished.
Why do some Vegans eat Honey?
You may see some vegans consuming honey. Such vegans usually prefer buying honey from local farms. The local honey produced in local farms is not vegan, but it is less cruel. Local beekeepers don’t expose bees to cruel practices like commercial farms. Moreover, some local farms sell leftover honey during spring season after the bees have taken what they need for winter.
Vegan Alternatives to Honey
There are many plant-based options vegans can use as sweeteners. Please note that sweeteners (natural or refined) are rich in sugar and must be consumed in moderation.
Agave Nectar: It is the most common and famous vegan substitute for honey. Agave nectar is derived from agave plants, and its texture and taste are similar to regular honey.
Blackstrap Molasses: It is made from boiling sugarcane juice 3-4 times. The sweetener has a distinct flavor and odor.
Maple Syrup: Maple syrup is made from the maple tree. Its taste and consistency are different from regular honey.
Barley Mint Syrup: It is a dark brown, thick, and sticky sweetener made from barley sprouts.
Date Syrup: It is made by mixing boiled dates with water. You can control the thickness and sweetness by adjusting the volume of water in the mixture.
Brown Rice Syrup: Brown rice syrup is derived from brown rice. It is made by exposing brown rice to enzymes that break down the starch in rice to form the sweetener.
Bee-Free Honey: Bee-free honey is made by multiplying regular honey’s DNA in a lab. Commercial bee-free honey is not commonly available.
Can I make Vegan Honey at home?
Yes. You can make vegan honey at home using apple juice, lemon juice, sugar, and chamomile or clover tea. Homemade honey doesn’t have the consistency of regular honey, but it is 100% vegan.
Is Local Honey Vegan?
Local honey is not vegan, but its production is less cruel than commercial honey. Local honey is usually produced by small-scale farms that don’t expose bees to cruel practices like wing clipping, honey replacing, pesticides, and hive burning. Many vegans eat local honey, considering it is not cruel to bees.
Is Manuka Honey Vegan?
Manuka honey is not vegan. However, Manuka honey is monofloral honey because bees collect it before consuming it. The collection process doesn’t kill or harm bees, but it isn’t cruelty-free.
Is Clover Honey Vegan?
Clover honey is not vegan. Clover honey is known for its unique taste and low sugar content.
Is Wildflower Honey Vegan?
Wildflower honey is extracted from bees that feed on nectar from various employees. Wildflower is not vegan as it is extracted from bees, like all the other types of honey.
