More fake stuff on the shelves

[jmayerl]

Sorry but need to vent about this. Walking down the grocery store isles today my eye was caught by some labels as I am revamping mine currently. Fake maple along side real maple has always been a sore spot for me. I actually wrote back on my Wisconsin maple syrup association renewal form a few years ago that I think it's a joke that Andersons maple syrup sits on the board and spends our dollars while marketing fake maple syrup for themselves. Needless to say I have boycotted both Andersons and the WMSPA since then as I feel they are both useless. Since then I split my $5k+ per year maple budget between 3 different maple suppliers in Wisconsin. Then I see this on the shelve. I guess maple hollow is off my list. It's too bad because they are such nice people. I just don't want to see the general public tricked into buying something like this.

[Bucket Head]

Your not alone. It bothers everyone on here. And everyone here has a grocery store(s) in their town with the same thing going on- a lot of fake stuff with little or no real syrup in it, but lots of misleading advertising on the labels.

Apparently sugar syrup is preferable over corn syrup these days...

Steve

[motowbrowne]

I'm with you guys. It's shameful selling a product like that. I can't say it was my only reason not to do business with Anderson's, but I definitely didn't like it.

I'll also agree that it's too bad Maple Hollow is selling that junk too. They are really great people to deal with. Maybe we should all call them up, and tell them how we feel about it.

Also, if you haven't been buying from Pittman's in Arkansaw, wi, they're worth looking at. They've always been very friendly and helpful when I need something. They currently get all of my syrup business, even though it's probably only 10% of what you're talking about. I will be spending a good bit more this year putting in new tubing, and Pittman's will be my go-to.

On a side note, how do you spend $5k+ annually on syrup supplies for 1050 taps? Are you doing lots and lots of small decorative glass?

[campus189]

Glad it is illegal to label product like this in Massachusetts.
We have too many laws here, but this is one that I like.


Section 36C. No person shall manufacture, label, package, sell, keep for sale, expose or offer for sale any food article or food product branded as maple, maple syrup, maple candy, maple creams, maple butter, or maple sugar which is not made from pure maple syrup derived from the sap of the maple tree.

Any compound or mixture branded or labelled as maple, maple syrup, maple candy, maple creams, maple butter or maple sugar, or branded as an imitation thereof, which consists of maple syrup mixed with any other substances or ingredients shall have printed on the package containing such compound or mixture a statement of the ingredients of which it is made, all said ingredients to be set forth in the same size type as the words ''maple syrup''.
The use of the words ''maple'' or ''maple syrup'', shall not be used in the labelling or branding of any food product which does not contain any maple syrup in its ingredients.


In other words, the font should be the same size.
Hell, I did an Internet search, even walmart sells this crap.

This makes me sick just seeing this.

Forest Country Gourmet Syrup:

All natural
Made in northern Wisconsin using Wisconsin maple syrup
Salt free
Kosher
Ingredients: Ingredients: 82% Cane Syrup, 18% Maple Syrup.

[MaxJ]

These candies are been sold at the local maple syrup supply outlet. One would think that one of the biggest names out there could at least sell something that is real.
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[PerryFamily]

While on the Maplerama tour a few years ago we visited Maple Grove. They do syrup, candy and a ton of other products like salad dressing and what not. Five minutes into the tour the employee informed us that the majority of their product was a "blended product". You could tell by his expression that it was even uncomfortable to say that. Someone asked exactly what that ment and he explained that the majority of their products are blended with cane syrup or high fructose corn syrup. I was instantly turned off. He then told us that 70% of their syrup is from Canada. Now I was really turned off. I have no issues with the quality of Canadian syrup but hey man this is VT! Your advertising a VT product with Canadian and synthetic ingredients! I'm positive they could get 100% of their syrup from VT producers provided they paid the same bulk price as every other packer.

In their defense they do offer products that are 100% maple but the majority is blended.

Really pisses me off

It's all about the buck I get it

[jmayerl]

On a side note, how do you spend $5k+ annually on syrup supplies for 1050 taps? Are you doing lots and lots of small decorative glass?

I have never pocketed a single dime of profit in the 8 years I made syrup,I have a pretty fancy sugar shack with 30k in stainless in it. I purchase bulk syrup from a few different producers and sell 3-4 pallets of glass a year. I actually only had about 600 taps this year but did spend a bunch to start tubing a woods I lease.

[abbott]

On a side note, how do you spend $5k+ annually on syrup supplies for 1050 taps? Are you doing lots and lots of small decorative glass?

I spend about 5k annually on supplies for about 800 taps. 3k at Bascoms in the spring during the sale - alot of that is jugs since I package everything I make, but don't sell much glass at all. Some for new/replacement tubing, check valves, cleaners. The other 2k would go toward capital expenses like evaporator, tanks, canner, pumps, smokestack. Varies a lot from year to year for these things, but I'd say 4-5k average would be a good estimate of what it would take to maintain where I'm at if I stopped growing at all. Though a stainless stack and new arch doors are a must this year and there are plenty of other upgrades I'd like. Selling roughly 300 gallons of syrup a year over the last few years brings in about 20k gross.

I mostly just accept the fake stuff as a fact of life and take pride whenever I convert someone to the real deal. I don't know what all Bascoms sells, but I'd have a hard time taking the 3k that I spend there somewhere else when it would likely add several hundred dollars to the expense sheet.

[Ghs57]

A relative was visiting my shack when I was doing a batch of very dark, and after tasting a sample said "That tastes just like Log Cabin!". This from someone who hates maple syrup, and coming at the end of a 10 hour boil. I had no response.

Some people just don't like the real thing, and prefer garbage "pole syrup". So what are we doing all this work for? Fortunately, there is a sufficient number of those who appreciate the real thing, and make the effort to find it locally. I usually give this relative a jar anyway, but they usually give it away. Oh well.

[campus189]

I thought this is where log cabin came from. lol
http://mapletrader.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14130&stc=1

[Cedar Eater]

It is true that pure maple syrup is sometimes too strong for some people. They aren't used to it and they find it overwhelming in the quantities that they are used to pouring on. I can think of worse things than cutting it with cane sugar syrup (like cutting it with corn syrup). They might get used to it though. I just feel sorry for people who are expecting pure maple syrup and get fooled, but that label seems clearer than some that I've seen.

[GeneralStark]

Salt free?

[Ghs57]

Salt free?

You don't add salt?

(Thought that was odd too)

[Galena]

You don't add salt?

(Thought that was odd too)

I used to work in Advertising as a copywriter, so I wrote lies for a living for many years. I know how to bend the truth so that your product looks better than everyone else's. By advertising syrup as 'salt-free' you're actually stating the obvious, because maple syrup straight from the tree contains no or such minute traces of salt in the form of trace minerals. Honestly it should be more like 'contains NO added salt'. Ditto for kosher, organic etc.

All this manufacturer is trying to do is charge more for a perceived benefit - the consumer sees is advertised as salt-free and perhaps assumes that all other brands do contain salt, or have added salt.

I could easily sell my syrup as organic, Kosher, salt-free maple syrup, and charge an outrageous price for it, and people who are health-conscious would gladly pay the arm and a leg that I would charge for it. As I understand it, to be certified organic in my area, you just don't have to have sprayed any kind of pesticide chemicals or fertilizers around the trees for the last 5 years. Well, I've had this property almost 9yrs now, NEVER used fertilizers or pesticides around my trees, so technically I'm organic.

And I don't use pork-based products to defoam my syrup (I use a skimmer, more work but hey) as used to be done back in the day. And I sure as hell don't add salt!!!

[Ghs57]

And I sure as hell don't add salt!!!

And it's gluten free....

[Run Forest Run!]

I don't add salt, but I do add waffles, crumpets and pancakes.

[Galena]

And it's gluten free....

LOL that too! And add 'lactose free' too to mine...my mentors in this hobby still defoam with a few drops of milk. I don't, so again I'm free and clear there. And the price of my syrup just went up another $25/l ;-)

[BlueberryHill]

Orange Leaf is a self-serve frozen yogurt place. At the end of the trough, there are a bunch of squirt bottles with various topping sauces. They all have labels that only say "Chocolate Sauce" "Caramel Sauce" and then I see one that says only "Maple Syrup". I was on a gift card mission and I was in a rush so I could not sample the "Maple Syrup" or start a line of questioning, but I had a pretty strong feeling that it was not truly maple syrup in there.

[Big_Eddy]

Ontario Maple Regulations are pretty clear.
Not sure how Atkinson's are getting away with it.



Substitutes for honey or maple product
26. (1) A person who packs, sells or advertises honey substitutes or maple product substitutes shall not use words, pictures or designs on any label or container or in any advertisement for the substitute if words, pictures or designs are likely to lead a person to mistake the substitute for honey or a maple product, as the case may be. O. Reg. 119/11, s. 26 (1).

(2) A person who packs, sells or advertises honey substitutes or maple product substitutes shall not use a container of a particular shape if the shape of the container is likely to lead a person to mistake the substitute for honey or a maple product, as the case may be. O. Reg. 119/11, s. 26 (2).

(3) A person who packs, sells or advertises a honey substitute that does not contain any honey shall not use the word “honey” or “miel” on any container of the substitute. O. Reg. 119/11, s. 26 (3); O. Reg. 127/12, s. 13 (1).

(4) A person who packs, sells or advertises a maple product substitute that does not contain any maple product shall not use the word “maple” or “érable” on any container of the substitute except in the expressions “artificially maple flavoured”, “aromatisé artificiellement à l’érable”, “artificial maple flavouring” or “arôme artificiel d’érable”. O. Reg. 127/12, s. 13 (2).

(5) No person shall sell a maple product substitute that contains a maple product as an ingredient in the maple product substitute unless,

(a) the maple product constitutes at least 15 per cent of the total volume of the maple product substitute;

(b) a statement of percentage, stating the amount of maple product contained in the maple product substitute as a percentage of the total volume of the product, is set out on the principal display panel on the maple product substitute’s container;

(c) the statement of percentage referred to in clause (b) does not use the word “pure” or “pur”; and

(d) the word “maple” or “érable” does not appear on the label applied to the maple product substitute’s container except in,

(i) the statement of percentage referred to in clause (b), and

(ii) a list of ingredients. O. Reg. 119/11, s. 26 (5); O. Reg. 127/12, s. 13 (3, 4).