Pasteurisation, if done correctly, will destroy the toxin but may not get rid of the bacterium - this is because the spores are resistant to heat.

The risk is that infants in the first few months of life have not fully developed their gut defences, so the spores can colonise within the intestine and release the toxin.

In older children and adults, any spores will be annihilated during passage through the digestive system, so it is safe for them to consume honey.