Lead in syrup

[brookledge]

I know we have talked about it in the past but I just read in my farming magazine that Ohio is bringing the subject up again. They are requiring every drum of syrup to be tested. Also they are stating don't buy any equipment that is not made from food grade materials. That means no galvenized or lead soldered equipment. They are even going as far as to say you should not sell any equipment to another producer if it has lead in it. They say if it has lead in it make plans to dispose of it.

Does anybody from Ohio have any input in this? Just wondering who is responsible to pay for all of the testing. Also what is Ohio using for an exceptable limit? I think some states are 250 ppm.
This is going to be a hardship for alot of producers especially if you have a large amount of galv. sap buckets and also having to buy a new evaporator and tanks.
Keith

[Mike]

Keith, There are some producers here who put out a lot of buckets.....I heard one puts out 10,000 + buckets.......Its like lead shot for duck hunting, the feds over react.......

[brookledge]

Mike
I would think if you do one test and the lead is below the allowed or recommended limits than you should be ok for the year or some type of time limits. If you fail the test than at that point you need to do something.
I just don't like the Goverment telling some one they have to get rid of there equipment if there making syrup within the limits.
I'm all for working towards reducing lead in syrup though. If the consumers get the feeling that there is lead in all maple syrup then they will not buy it. And that will hurt everybody. So all in all we as a whole need to begin to be proactive rather than wait till its to late.
Keith

[super sappy]

I asked alot of questions at the vt maple seminar last winter about lead.They kept saying that everything should be food grade. They also said over and over that when sap sets for an extended period in a galvanized tank that the lead levels will be high in your syrup. I walked away feeling that if you dumped your buckets daily into a stainless tank or good poly tank that you will be ok. I also feel that the state of Vermont will only give the "OFFICIAL OK"on food grade and stainless equipment because that is the safe rout for them to take. Without exact ,accurateData telling them how long it takes for sap to eat enough of the old coating off the bucket they will never say that is ok to use and open themselves up to a lawsuit. And lets just face it some people do not make the best choices when it comes to common sense things.-Jeff

[Russell Lampron]

The acceptable limit for lead in syrup in NH is 250ppm. An inspecter from the dept of agriculture came to my sugarhouse and sent a sample to the state lab. My syrup was at 90ppm and I did not get a bill for the lab work.

If what it sounds like Ohio is trying to do is true and it spreads to the other Maple producing states anything lead soldered or galvanized is going to be illegal to use. There are alot of old sap buckets and galvanized tanks out there that would become worthless and put alot of producers out of business.

Russ

[Fred Henderson]

Think about this for a minute, if you are using a filter press when the niter is collected any lead sticks to it. So there might be lead in your raw syrup but it does not come thru the filter press. This info comes to me via a Leader dealer.

[super sappy]

Russell- Are you using any galvanized equipment? I peeked into about 25 sugar houses this past summer and I saw alot of old tin and Galvanized equipment.-Jeff

[Russell Lampron]

Super Sappy,

I have 125 galvanized sap buckets now. When I was tested I had about 200, have changed over to plastic tubing and vacuum where possible. I don't have any other galvanized or lead soldered equipment.

Russ

[super sappy]

I,ll be willing to bet that in my lifetime we will see the food and drug administration start setting guidelineds. Everyone will need a commercial kitchen with stainless walls and non porus floors before they can tap a tree.So I think that the sensable thing for a producer(ME) just starting out is to make a business plan and stick to it.And little by little purchase the things that are lead free and slowly build up my sugar business without breaking the bank. My goal is to have an established maple business to suppliment my retirement in 20 years. My other goal is to have a breed of chicken that will not crap on the saphouse steps every time my wife lets them out to run.SS :)

[Russell Lampron]

SS that sounds like a good plan. I am doing the same thing here. The sugaring will give me something to do that I enjoy when I retire.

It would be nice if you could breed chickens that will only crap where you want them to.

Russ

[maplehound]

I called Richards a couple weeks ago (buyere of most bulk syrup in Ohio) and they told me that they wern't buyin any more srup this year. Also told me that all syrup had to be tested for lead and the seller had to pay $25 for the test. The other option is to send it to the state and they will test it free but it takes several weeks to get the results from the state. I wasn't clear as to weather they wern't buying any because of the lead testing or because they didn't need more syrup right now.
This was the first time I had run into this problem
Ron
Raccoon Run Maple Syrup

[Russell Lampron]

I just sold some commercial syrup at Bascom's 2 weeks ago. I was paid $1.50 /lb for it. Bruce said that he is looking for dark syrup. Hopefully the lead testing thing doesn't spread to NH anytime soon. It would make it harder for all producers to sell bulk syrup. I think if the buyer wanted the syrup bad enough he would find a way around the $25 testing fee.

Russ

[brookledge]

I still feel that if you do one test and pass with flying colors you should be able to be certified or something like that. I know that things can change from time to time but to add the expense of testing evry container of bulk that would be an auwful lot of money for some.
Keith

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

You can't explain stuff like that to beurocrats. :evil:

[brookledge]

I got my maple digest today and noticed that the lead issue seams to be gaining momentum again.
Keith

[Fred Henderson]

I am telling you guys that the only ones that are going to push the lead issue is the equipment dealers. There is more lead being injested thru old plumbing fixtures that thru syrup. Any copper plumbing before 1990 has it. So tell me whats next, is the gov going to reqiure all home built before 90's to be torn down.

[H. Walker]

I produce syrup in Ontario, Canada and they have been on this lead kick for several years now. Three years ago I was tested and it came back a little high but still under "their limit". So I bought a new front pan, replaced older buckets and spiles with new, I spent several thousand $. For the money spent I dropped the lead count down to 1/4 of "their limit". Do you know what the Food Inspection Agency told me? You did a good job!! Not, They said "we would like to have your count at Zero" !! I would like to have a million dollars too, but that's not going to happen either. I guess they don't relize that heavy metals in the ground are a fact of life because they still allow Big Indutries to pump the crap up their smoke stacks. I think the Inspectors figure that it's a lot easier to inspect 1 syrup outfit of 100,000 taps than to inspect 100 outfits of 1,000 taps.

Thanks for letting me vent!!

[markcasper]

H. Walker, You know how to take the words out of my mouth. Alot of the laws and regulations come from lobbyists paying the lawmakers off. And often it turns out the one that has the most money, therefore the most clout, ends up winning the game.

It doesn't seem to me that the syrup equipment makers are large enough to have a lobbying effort in terms of being able to sell more equipment. It may be an indirect effort though, of say the steel mills, if you catch my drift.

While I am not an organic food buff, I have learned recently that practically all of the food that we eat that goes through a "process" has some very alarming garbage in it thats included.

For example, are you aware that if you by a food product from a large, multi-national food company, they often have nasty chemicals and flavor enhancers in them which are disguised as simply being "spices", and or "natural flavor". The food processing industry has given enough money to the lawmakers to get this legal. They know that this is deception, but b/c they have the money, its then termed as "safe". Its also set up in such a way that it looks harmless to the unsuspecting public as customers.

While I am not going to rant anymore about this subject, it is good news for people that don't know to hear. Who knows where this lead thing is going. I think the industry as a whole has did a good job in terms of getting the lead out. Who knows, with what I just told you, it may be that a select few large multi-national food companys are staging this, so that it puts a scare up peoples shirts about pure and natural products. You know, Aunt Jamima and Mrs. Butterworths don't like us all very much, even if it is only .5% of their potential sales. Mark

[Fred Henderson]

If I only make syrup for my own use then thats the way it will be cause I ain't eating that other s*%t.

[Sugarbear]

In Ohio the standards they are using for allowable limits for lead are based on drinking water standards,which is based on consuming eight glasses of water a day.I dont know about all you guys but I cant think of anyone I know who consumes eight glasses of maple syrup a day. :) A few years ago the Ohio Dept of Ag tried to make all sugar producers have the afore mentioned "approved kitchens" for processing but after much protest for producers they dropped it.I suppose the issue may return someday.

[Fred Henderson]

What about all the large public building such as domitories at the colleges that our young people live in that were built in the 70's and earlyer? Do you think all the states are go to remove the lead in the water pipes in them. Somebody had better get their head screwed on right before they start slinging that BS.

[Russell Lampron]

I've been known to consume quite a few shots of maple syrup and chasing it with boiling sodas (beer) while I am boiling, but not 8 glasses worth. 8O

Russ

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

Russ- My wife and i was just looking at the picture of you up at royalmaple's construction and it looked like you had a diet sasparella in your hand :lol:

[Russell Lampron]

Kevin,

That day it was a construction soda. :D

Russ

[royalmaple]

Russ if you were the one drinking why the heck was I the one that fell off the roof that day?

:?

[Fred Henderson]

:roll: :roll: That is funnyer than all heck.

[royalmaple]

Funny now, but scared the crap out of us when it happened. Hurt like a SOB too.

Point to self when you have roof brackets and are working on a roof, set them up and use a plank. I don't care how many roofs you have been on.

[HanginAround]

Your building sure looks great, falling off the roof or not.

I have a cousin that was putting on steel roofing... after getting a piece started, he realized it was a couple inches short.... so started taking out screws while he was standing on it. You guessed it, once the last one came out, it made a great tobaccan... he wore a leg cast for a couple months after that LOL.

[Russell Lampron]

Matt I was the one with no tread on my boots too! :roll:

[royalmaple]

I guess I should have been drinking that day. But then the building wouldn't have been quite as plum and square.

[Russell Lampron]

That sounds like the "Captain" talking Matt. :D

Russ