i’ve heard mixed responses regarding whether raw, unpasteurized honey requires a hechsher. and secondly , if it has a natural additive, i.e. lavender-honey (raw honey, lavender from the plant)… the brand is called Zach & Zoe in NJ.. they said they use zero artificial ingredients and tadd
Any raw honey is fine.
The OU writes:
“Yet, per Jewish law, any dead bee imparts a bad taste into the honey and is permitted after the fact… Unfiltered honey… is not necessarily a concern—provided that all of the bee parts are removed… This, too, is monitored via OU certification, ensuring that a filter with an adequate mesh size is used.”
This is absurdly dishonest. Any raw honey is kosher without any of these so-called requirements.
Here’s why:
1. Bitul / Bitul B’shishim – Halacha teaches that if a non-kosher substance is less than 1/60 of the mixture, it is nullified. Any bee parts in honey are far less than this ratio, making them halachically irrelevant.
2. Nosen Ta’am Lifgam (bad taste) – If something imparts a bad flavor, it does not make the mixture non-kosher. The OU themselves admit that dead bees impart a bad taste, which means there is no halachic issue to begin with.
3. Inedibility – Halacha also rules that inedible items (like dried wings or legs) are not considered food at all. In their own article, the OU admits these bee parts are “halachically inedible,” yet still insists you need their certification.
These are basic halachic principles. To claim otherwise is not Torah—it’s business. Kashrus agencies make money from these certifications, and that profit motive drives this kind of misleading “psak.”
You can read the OU’s full write-up here (https://oukosher.org/blog/articles/the-kosher-honey-story/).