I’ve learned that the reason why the brand of honey I’ve been buying is so good is that it’s unfiltered and unpasteurized. It gives me a vague sense of unease as I wonder if there’s some good reason why so many producers of the stuff do filter and pasteurize it even though it tastes this much better when you don’t.
When I do consult searx I am told that I was correct in my understanding that bacterial contamination such as that resulting in botulism is generally not a problem for honey. You may be thinking of milk.
Further reading suggests that although the bacteria cannot live in honey, spores which can cause botulism can nonetheless sometimes be found in honey — both pasteurized and raw. Health Canada suggests not giving honey to infants.
But the main reason for filtering and pasteurizing honey seems to be that it gives it a longer shelf life before it crystallizes. Sure enough, one of the the jars I bought was in solid granular form. I put it in hot water to re-liquefy it.