Bee Free Honee was an apple-based vegan alternative to honey that achieved recognition and funding from Shark Tank.[2] Produced from apples, lemon juice, and cane sugar, it could be used as a replacement for honey in recipes.[3] The product could be consumed by young children[4] and by people with an allergy to honey.[5] In 2019, the company went out of business.[6]
History
The product was accidentally developed in 1999 by Katie Sanchez while she was making apple jelly.[7] The company was established in 2012,[1] with a production facility in River Falls, Wisconsin.[8] After being featured on Shark Tank in February 2016,[2] sales quadrupled and the company moved production from Wisconsin to Texas.[1]
Company co-owner Melissa Elms claimed that by not using bees for production, the product was beneficial to honeybee populations, which she said were often exposed to unsuitable environments in commercial production.[9]
^ ab"Shark Tank: Episode 17 – Watch Season 7 Episode 17". ABC. February 12, 2016. Archived from the original on March 20, 2017. Retrieved March 19, 2017. An entrepreneur from Philadelphia hopes the Sharks don't take a bite out of him while pitching a smart plate containing food-recognition technology that could solve all your dieting problems; two energetic women from Minneapolis, MN and Waco, TX have created a sweetener that tastes just like honey, but not made by bees.
