> It is recommended that honey in any form should not be given to
> infants less than one year old.  There have been no definitive
> studies but a high number of infants
 
<etc.>
 
I don't know about a 'high' number.  I believe the numbers are so
small and occasional that a correlation has been hard (impossible) to
establish beyond doubt. BUT there was (is?) a *suspicion* that honey
might be inplicated in *some* cases of infant botulism.
 
Andy's FAQ posted recently addressed the matter well.
 
The spores in question are ubiquitous.  They are found in soils, and
easily introduced to foods by exposure to dust, etc.
 
Sufficient spore levels would have to be present to cause a death.
Surveys have been made of the frequency of botulism spores occuring in
honey.  I don't have the results at hand, but I suspect it has to do
with the locale where the honey was produced and the water source the
bees use, and the way the honey was handled, transported in supers,
etc.
 
For an episode to occur, a honey sample that had the proper botulism
spores would have to be given to a child with a susceptibility for the
problem.
 
AFAIK, nothing has been proven, but prudence has caused many to
exclude honey from the regular diets of infants.
 
I don't think that there is much risk.  It is probably lower than the
risk of taking a kid for a ride in a car, so occasional exposure to
honey is not a big worry.
 
Some people, however were using honey in formula daily.
 
So, don't panic if an infant is given honey on one occasion, and
remember that far, far, far more infants have flourished on honey than
have ever been even suspected of being harmed by it.
 
Regards
 
Allen
 
W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper                                         VE6CFK
RR#1, Swalwell, Alberta  Canada T0M 1Y0
Internet:[log in to unmask] & [log in to unmask]
Honey. Bees, & Art <http://www.internode.net/~allend/>