Is Bee Pollen Vegetarian?

The term "vegetarian" has become a little blurry in recent years because some vegans refer to themselves as "total vegetarians," and some abstainers from red meat inaccurately refer to themselves as vegetarians. The only point of concern regarding bee pollen is the line between vegetarians and vegans. Vegetarians are a group that includes those who abstain from eating flesh but still may drink milk and eat cheese and eggs -- sometimes called lacto-ovo vegetarians. In other words, they eat animal products that do not require the death of the animal. Vegans are a subset of vegetarians who abstain from all animal products.

What Is Bee Pollen?

Bees collect pollen from the male stamens of flowers and return to their hives with it to make honey. At this point, there's very little difference between ordinary flower pollen and bee pollen because the bees are not eating or digesting the pollen that will be collected but simply carrying it on their legs.

How Is Pollen Collected?

As the bees return to the hive from their pollen-collecting trips, they pass through a screen that pollen harvesters have placed over the hive entrance that scrapes off some of the pollen from their legs, causing it to fall to a "pollen trap" down below. The pollen is then collected from the trap every day or two to preserve its freshness and ensure that the trap doesn't become overfull.

Why Would Vegans Object?

Vegans disagree with the domination or exploitation of animals for human use. As a result, they typically do not eat honey and would have a similar objection to bee pollen. Pollen is the source of nutrition for bees and allows them to make their honey. By exploiting their pollen-collecting labors and "stealing" their raw materials, harvesters make the work of the bees less productive and more difficult, all for the purpose of human consumption.

Why Wouldn't Vegetarians Object?

The argument for cruelty and exploitation of bees to harvest honey and pollen is no more compelling than the same arguments for cruelty and exploitation of chickens and cows for eggs, milk and cheese. Although vegetarians would certainly not advocate cruelty or exploitation of animals, the collection of bee pollen does not necessarily result in death or injury to the bees and would therefore fulfill the obligation of a lacto-ovo vegetarian.