New Grading system for VT and batch codes

[PerryFamily]

Well the day some have been hoping for and some have been dreading has come. I got an e-mail from the VMSMA and Vermont has adopted the new grading system.
I don't want to get into debate as it sounds like it is a done deal. My question is in regards to the "batch coding" portion of the new system.

Have any producers found a system that is easy to use whether big or small?

what types of records and how specific do these records need to be?

How does one "code" the container? labels?....

What happens when re-processing from two different lot #s or boil dates, how is this handled?

I dont have a problem with any of the new regulations, I am glad we can still use FANCY!!, I would like to be proactive as well as find a simple solution.

Thanks in advance

[mapleack]

Batch coding is pretty easy. I number my barrels and I just use a price gun and sticker the bottoms of jugs with year/month/day. Then keep a written record of what size how many, the code and what barrel it came from. I also record the batch code for wholesale sales that are made. If someone has a problem (hasn't happened), I can tell pretty much what day that syrup was made and where else it has gone.

[bowhunter]

Here are some suggestions from my experience in the specialty chemical industry. This is just food for thought but you might be able to use this as a starting point.
1. Each production batch can be either unique batches produced for packaging or an entire days production.
2. There are many acceptable ways to determine a lot number, but I like to be able to tell when the lot was made with just the lot number. One way to determine lot number is to use the last two digits for the year and three digits for the day of the year and a letter for each batch produced that day. For example the second batch made on February 1, 2014 would have the lot or batch number 14-032-B. If you have multiple finishers or evaporators you may need to add a number or letter to designate which piece of equipment was used to produce a particular lot number.
3. I would recommend keeping a running record of each lot or batch in a log or ledger. Note the number of liters/gallons produced and whether or not it contained any material being repackaged. Include the quantity and lot number for the repackaged material. The new lot will have a new unique lot number. You may want to record the grade, hydrometer reading, etc of the lot. In fact that might be required by the regulations.
4. In the grocery store the lot number is usually on the container or cap vs the label, but you will need to refer to the regs to see what they require.

The method I have described is generally good enough for the auto industry and meets most global quality standards, but may not meet Vermont's requirements.

[red maples]

the code on the bottle or jug is pretty easy you can do what ever you want I use a sharpie. and I put hang tags on all my glass so I write it on that. and its usually a 2 digit number from the barrel number. As for my record book I put all the info in there date of production, etc etc etc. and assign it that number, which then goes to all the retail containers.

When blending 2 barrels with 2 different #'s just make a new number for that say you need medium and say Light (well Fancy for you VTers) and dark blend in both make 5 gallons and make a new number for that batch. or what ever the case may be.

We are most likely getting the new system in NH for the 2015 season the AG Dept is still writing things out as they are kinda seeing what VT and other states are doing with their wording and adapting from there. Just one example was, They didn't like that VT could reconstitute maple sugar back into syrup." because then you are adding possible stuff into the syrup and therefore wouldn't ness. be PURE anymore. Not looking for a Debate either this is just what they were saying.

I am for the change. Fancy is fancy but Grade B is still Excellent tasting even if its really dark. The majority of customers that I have look for the Dark and Gr. B over medium and fancy. I can't give fancy away I just use it for confections!!!

[PerryFamily]

looks as though I may have been over thinking it, thanks for the suggestions, keep them coming!!

Red Maples- I agree with you 100%. The term "B" does suggest it is inferior, when in fact more and more people ask for dark syrup. Also, being a Vermonter I know my "Fancy" is any more fancy than yours, but it is a great marketing tool and i think of it as just that, a marketing tool.

[BreezyHill]

When encoding feed for USDA & FDA requirements we use the Julian date that bowhunter mentioned with 2 digit year. We don't do any production run break down since there is not cleaning or washing of the equipment between mixes that would be need to separate one batch from another. We use a customized spreadsheet to keep track of production with a hard copy that is printed blank and is hand filled in and then transferred to electronic for storage of backup copy and statistics calculations.

When product is broken down or rebottled the original code is used since that is its origin. If not all of a batch is going to be utilized then a suffix letter would differentiate the two times of repackaging. In your records you would note that 022-13, 5 gal rebottled to 022-13 250 ml & qt plastic.

Each time you wash or clean the evaporator this must be noted in your production log; so that the batches are segregateable. If there was a problem with batch 023-13 and no washing recorded til the end of season the production after 023 will be condemned as well.

Easiest thing is to record everything...washing of tanks, evaporators, pumps, lines. filter press, canner, etc.

If bottling from two different bulk batch codes you would be safest to wash the canner/bottler system between the two bulk containers to limit the potential recall.

I have never had to go thru a recall of product but we are check at least once a year by FDA and/or USDA to check our compliance with the regs. That in its self can be an arduous experience, but when you have all the necessary documentation at your figure tips it goes a lot faster. We even have to have a way of contacting all of our customers in the event of a recall situation. For us that is easy...we use a commercial business accounting program and every customers mailing address is on their invoices. Hand generated invoice are logged in weekly.

Proactive is much easier in the long run. Fewer headaches and return visits to recheck your compliance.

Ben

[Maplewalnut]

Everyone seems to have a piece of the puzzle that eventually will consume us as regulations become developed and enforcement begins. Keep in mind it is a very simple question to ask yourself. Can I demonstrate I am in a state of control when producing syrup? Records of cleanings are fine, but do you clean on a predetermined regular frequency? Batch numbering is fine, but do you have a written recall procedure? Are my cleaners always in expiration date? (Not even sure defoamer has an expiration date) Are your barrels numbered? How far does it go... who knows, but I do see the day coming when automatic drawoffs and refractometers will have recorders attached so you can document temperature and brix of each finished batch.

[DrTimPerkins]

I have never had to go thru a recall of product but we are check at least once a year by FDA and/or USDA to check our compliance with the regs. That in its self can be an arduous experience, but when you have all the necessary documentation at your figure tips it goes a lot faster.

That is a key point worth repeating and explaining in more detail (thanks for bringing it up Ben). You can do all the right things every time, but if it is not well documented (in writing), as far as the FDA / USDA are concerned (and other agencies for other things), then it is as if you never did it. So documenting practices is a critically important factor in record keeping. It isn't hard to do. As the old saying goes, no job is over until the paperwork is done. :)

[Maplewalnut]

That is a key point worth repeating and explaining in more detail (thanks for bringing it up Ben). You can do all the right things every time, but if it is not well documented (in writing), as far as the FDA / USDA are concerned (and other agencies for other things), then it is as if you never did it. So documenting practices is a critically important factor in record keeping. It isn't hard to do. As the old saying goes, no job is over until the paperwork is done. :)

I work with the FDA everyday in another industry and there is a very easy phrase to remember....'not documented = not done'

[lew]

Pery maples,

I agree that some consumers see the Grade B classification and think of it as an "inferior" grade. But abou 10 to 15 years ago consumers started trying that "inferior" grade and liked it. And really like the lesser price. So they told their friends, and so on. Now we have a large market for our "inferior" product, commanding a much better price than 15 years ago, and we are going to change the name of it. I know, I know, we are changing all of the grades and it is for the betterment of society, and the public will be better educated, blah, blah, blah. I'm not saying I am against the grade changes, but like so many Vermonters have said about the "fancy" grade, it's a great marketing tool. For both the B designation and the Fancy.

[DrTimPerkins]

I'm not saying I am against the grade changes, but like so many Vermonters have said about the "fancy" grade, it's a great marketing tool. For both the B designation and the Fancy.

Fortunately, at least according to the way the new regulations are written in Vermont, we can still use words like "Fancy" and others as marketing descriptors.

[BreezyHill]

From a marketing stand point with the customer base needing to increase so that we have a stronger demand the new grading makes sense/cents.

Telling a customer that your product is grade B is counter productive. People always want the most for their $$$. I can recall people at our coop not wanting to buy the old Grade C for making granola because it was a poor quality product. So you would spend several minutes explaining to them the grading system and that C was just a darker color and carried a more flavorful taste; and they would still buy the Grade A or Fancy. Then they would be back and say the granola didn't have much maple flavor. So you would sell them the Grade B or C and then they were happy.

This system appears to be in line with what the beef industry has gone to in an effort to better explain the cuts of meat to consumers.
We need to realize that the majority of consumers don't have 1% of the knowledge of the product we have. So to better serve them, we need to have a label that explains, in black and white, what their options are and what to expect from the product. This labeling will eventually save us time in explaining the product to some customers; while others will still need an explanation. Just remember that the customer that you take the time with and make a personal connection with will be a life time customer.

Ben

[Maplewalnut]

From a marketing stand point with the customer base needing to increase so that we have a stronger demand the new grading makes sense/cents.

Telling a customer that your product is grade B is counter productive. People always want the most for their $$$. I can recall people at our coop not wanting to buy the old Grade C for making granola because it was a poor quality product. So you would spend several minutes explaining to them the grading system and that C was just a darker color and carried a more flavorful taste; and they would still buy the Grade A or Fancy. Then they would be back and say the granola didn't have much maple flavor. So you would sell them the Grade B or C and then they were happy.

This system appears to be in line with what the beef industry has gone to in an effort to better explain the cuts of meat to consumers.
We need to realize that the majority of consumers don't have 1% of the knowledge of the product we have. So to better serve them, we need to have a label that explains, in black and white, what their options are and what to expect from the product. This labeling will eventually save us time in explaining the product to some customers; while others will still need an explanation. Just remember that the customer that you take the time with and make a personal connection with will be a life time customer.

Ben

Respectfully disagree. Hear me out...

As you allude to there is proactive and reactive selling. Maybe a producer that sits behind a website or sells all their crop to bulk will like the new grading. But the active seller that engages their customers and has educated their clinetele over the years with the knowledge of the old grading (including grade B) and then folowed that up with a 'taste test' has been forced to take a step backwards. How can a discussion on grading and a short explanation of Grade B be counter productive when you cite that that same 'personal connection' is what builds lifelong customers? We hope for a discussion on maple syrup with all customers wether it be at a farmers market, an order over the phone or a passerby that stops at the sugarhouse becuase they are visting family two towns over.

Let's be real, most people dont read labels. In fact a lot of people dont even remember the grade but do remember they like the syrup with the 'red sticker' instead of the white or gold.

We will change our labeling scheme to stay compliant...
but in our discussions with customers much like the music artist 'formerly known as Prince', we will refer to extra dark as the syrup formerly known as 'B'

Mike

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

I, for one, am not too worried that the grade changes will matter very much. I am old enough that I remember another grade change. In NY we used to produce Fancy, Number 1 and Number2. Along came Amber and the sky was about to fall in. Didn't happen and it won't this time. I think that it makes sense to have uniform designations across the syrup producing areas and ultimately will result in less confusion for the consumer.

[maple flats]

Sorry VT, but I'm chiming in too, from NYS. I also have a nice customer base for "B" but i think the new Extra Dark label will get more than the B does. I think many perceive "B" as meaning inferior. The new standards should help remove that feeling and generate even more sales in that category.
I do taste samples at every show and by far my sales lean to Dark amber, followed by Med. but then B sales outnumber Light (or your "Fancy") when I give all 4 samples. My biggest issue here is NYS law that requires me to only sell B in gallons. Some prefer B but get Dark Amber because they only want a qt. I'm hoping the new grading stds will allow me to pack it in smaller retail containers.
This being said about sales at shows, my online shipments favor Medium by far. Every year I need to blend some of my light to get either Med. or Dark to balance my inventory before the next season starts.
By the way, I just ordered new labels with serial numbering to keep tracking simpler. I'll just record the starting and ending number of each lot.

[PerryFamily]

Flats- where did you purchase these labels? They sound like what I was looking for, simple and professional looking.

I didn't want this to get into a "B" no "B" , "fancy" no "fancy" battle. I used the word "inferior" simply for discussion. I feel when the consumer hears "grade B " when everything else is " grade A " the tend to think the quality is lower, or " inferior " to others. Most "educated" consumers know the difference, but not all are "educated". Hopefully this new system will solve this and the dark market will get bigger.
I tend to wholesale my fancy and sell more of the dark and B retail for sure.

[red maples]

I work in the Restaurant/hotel industry and its the same with the health inspectors if stuff isn't logged there is no saying it wasn't done correctly.

on a smaller retail level that some of us have such as myself I Really don't think it will really make much of a difference in the grading changes it will be a learning curve for the customers. Where it will have the biggest impact is the international and instate commerce. On the bigger packer levels like Bascom's they purchase and distribute to many states and countries with different regulations and it can be a night mare for them trying to buy and sell across those lines. Because being in NH they much follow NH packing rules and so on.

[maple flats]

I ordered the labels thru www.syruplabels.com I been working back and forth about 3 weeks. They did up a initial proof and I ok'd it. I currently use nice but much cheaper labels and there is a definate quality difference. These (from the samples he sent me) are very high quality labels. I paid just north of $400 for 5000 labels with my sugarhouse in the background and all the info I wanted on the label plus consecutive numbering. The numbering added $40. I thought that would simplify record and batch tracking. My labels will be an oval, 1.75 tall and 2.25" wide in full color (except the numbering block). I'm planning on using these on all jugs from pt up, smaller will require my old 1" x 1.5" labels, and I'll use them on all glass that they will fit. I don't know how many salesmen they have but I dealt with Shawn Lorbecki. He seemed to address my concerns well. I have never paid this much for labels in the past, but their labels are absolutely top quality and look far more professional than the "nice labels" I used last, or the OK labels I used before that.
Larger quantities result in lower per label prices, but on mine I got prices for 3000,5000,7000, and 9000. I found it curious that there was only $28 some dif. from 3,000 to 5,000 but then a $78 jump going to 7,000. I asked and was told it was because of waste in the paper size rolls used and that the 5000 made the least waste.
My labels will be printed on white paper with permanent ink, in full color, 1 mil laminated, with cold process adhesive, and on rolls.
If you have any more questions just ask.

[GeneralStark]

I don't feel the need to add any more to this conversation except that I have also been dealing with Shawn at syruplabels for about two years now, and will continue to do so as the quality of their product is excellent. I am also planning on adding batch #s to syrup jug labels in the future. I am having a new logo made so I am waiting until that is finalized before changing my label design.

[BreezyHill]

I totally agree that 60% of customers don't read labels; but remember that most people were pupils in their younger years. An A is always better than a B. While a simple sign like 8209
Would go a long way toward explaining the new system. It wont do any good if they don't read it. But, if they don't read the labels then the new system wont affect them any how.

Take a walk thru a grocery store and see how may people are reading labels on what they are consuming. 10 years ago I would have said 90% 5 years 80% but now it is really shocking how many people are label readers. Unfortunately not every customer has the time or the interest in taking time to talk to a sales person to learn. Often they feel they already know all they need to; but don't realize it is a preconceived notion based on an early learned life lesson. A is Awesome, B is acceptable, C, well not good enough.

A discussion or talking with customers is seldom counter productive. The use of a lessor grade letter is what I said was counter productive.

The marketing concepts of Gold better than Silver and Blue better than Red is deep in our subconscious so it is hard to over ride; but some Purple Rain will wash a few misconceptions away.

Personally as a producer who's farm is 80% Vt trees but the sugar house is 200' to far west, I hope that NY will adopt the change in grade quickly. Fancy can stay with VT, as it should. I just feel that the concept of the grading is good for the customer and it is best if all producers are on the same playing field.

The ones that this sucks for is those that have a large stock of obsolete labels.

For the producers this is all good. If nothing else, it will give producers a chance to educate all customers on a brand new grading system and a means to make bonds with customers.

Ben

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Ben,
NY accepted the new standards in early Sept. Go into effect 2015. We may use either label in 2014.

[BreezyHill]

Well blow me over, The Empire State is just full of surprises. Ahead of the game and alloying producers to transition over a year. I totally shocked.

Thanks for the ray of sun shine Thompson's

[Drew Pond Maple]

So what will I do with all my old labels? Let me think......maybe????? No.....oh I know, nah.....ok I got it.
Store credit:lol:

[markct]

Anyone know where to get small sequentialy numbered stickers? im picturing something similar to the grade stickers in size that could be stuck to the bottom of the bottle or jug, I currently write a number with a sharpie on my plastic jugs on the bottom but doesn't realy work on the glass so usualy just have been marking the box and hoping for the best so to speak

[maple flats]

I used a price marking gun to print and apply a date code (that didn't look like a date code) for the past 2-3 seasons. While it worked fine, the new labels will be faster and handier. As for getting such labels made, likely any label company could do it, but make sure they use "cold temp. adhesive", even though you apply when warm, that is the only glue to hold in our use, cold or warm. You also would not need a high grade number label, until you decide to personalize it for your operation by having your name, contact info etc. on it too.

[BreezyHill]

Paint pens will work on glass well, and are available at most office supply stores or some hardware stores. Local print shops can sequence #. It is more costly since it is usually a second run.

[wiam]

We use a black Sharpie on the bottom of glass when still warm.

[PerryFamily]

Flats- Thanks for the detailed info ( we can always count on you for details!!) . I have had nice labels made from the sign shop that does my truck and equipment lettering. They are printed and laminated as well. I always used to barter them off with him so not sure what he would have actually charged. I do know he always pi$$ed and moaned about doing them because they are small and a pain I guess. I like the idea of all the info on one nice quality label. I will check them out.

[maple flats]

When I got home from work I found the Dec. issue of Maple Syrup Digest in my mail. The centerfold is a high gloss sheet of the syruplabels.com high quality work. They are not adhesive but the print quality is definitely evident there. Those who get this publication take a look.

[AdirondackSap]

Just my 2cents I thinks all these rules about recording every step can be a little much. I was watching the show Moonshiners well they have to record every step they take in making whiskey. Well there was so much paper work and recording you had to do that you had no time in making the actual whiskey. Me being small producer and do most of the work myself that seems like a daunting task. So while im busy trying not to burn a pan and make syrup how they heck do you have time to do paper work? I think this is about the big producers with all the cash trying to put the little guy out just my own thoughts.

[PerryFamily]

If having to comply with new rules and regulations is the difference between being able to sell product, what choice do we really have? ZERO

If you look up the VT Voluntary Certification criteria I would say 90% of it is pure common sense. I personally like the fact that at any time anyone can walk through my operation and I can be proud of the job I have done and the product I have produced. Was it more expensive to set up, yes but it is less expensive to do it the first time than re do it later.

I agree the paperwork does seem to be pretty daunting. Most producers big and small are lucky to get sleep let alone write everything they did that day. Maybe a " maintenance" sheet, similar to one used for equipment could be made with simple checks to mark off a completed tasks? That would be pretty quick. Put it in a 3 ring binder and it is right there? Dunno, maybe I will write one up

[DrTimPerkins]

I thinks all these rules about recording every step can be a little much.

I don't believe you have to write every step of what you do each day, but just outline certain start-up procedures in regards to cleaning procedures especially. You do this once, then you (or anyone else) can refer to them as needed much like a checklist. Pretty simple actually.