I am getting into canning, and half the people have absolutely no fear of Clostridium botulinum and half of them are terrified. It has a similar sporulation strategy and even boiling doesn't necessarily kill it. Most recipes that have been scientifically proven to be safe with possible botulism vector foods use pH and sugar content to ensure that the little fuckers can't divide. Some pressure cook to raise the max temperature, and pH still matters in many of those.
It's the same strategy bees use (modulo the heat). Honey can contain botulinum spores, but the pH is so low and the sugar crushingly high so it can't divide - until you try to make mead and fuck up the recipe. Or feed it to an infant.
I don't think I've ever had non-acidic honey. I wonder if that's particular bees, particular flowers, or counterfeit honey. I'm suspecting the latter. We are just beginning to come to grips with how much of it there has been.
It's the same strategy bees use (modulo the heat). Honey can contain botulinum spores, but the pH is so low and the sugar crushingly high so it can't divide - until you try to make mead and fuck up the recipe. Or feed it to an infant.