 Syrup makers falsely passing off products as authentic maple syrup might soon find themselves in a very sticky situation. Senators Patrick Leahy from Vermont and Susan Collins from Maine introduced legislation last week that would make the fraudulent sale of maple syrup a felony offense, the senators said in a statement. “I have been alarmed by the growing number of individuals and businesses claiming to sell Vermont maple syrup when they are in fact selling an inferior product that is not maple syrup at all,” Leahy said. The bill is called the Maple Agriculture Protection and Law Enforcement or MAPLE Act and if passed, would increase the punishment for selling imitation maple syrup to a five year maximum penalty. Currently, the sale of fraudulent maple syrup is only a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in prison. Leahy said that simply isn’t enough to protect consumers and producers of authentic maple syrup. “We need to make sure that those who intentionally deceive consumers get a trip to jail, not a slap on the wrist,” Leahy said. Leahy said the bill will increase consumer confidence and protect the economic livelihood of New Englanders. “Fake labeling not only hurts this growing agricultural industry, but also defrauds consumers who have the right to know exactly what they are purchasing,” Collins said. The MAPLE Act is co-sponsored by Senator Olympia Snowe from Maine and New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand. |
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holy crap....look at all these comments. I could care less about maple syrup. You SOBs must be really bored.
I don't get it. Anyone who has had the real Maple Syrup, could surely detect a fake and not buy it twice.
Tick Tock Watch the Clock. Did you remember to secure the lock?
What about processed orange juice labeled as "fresh squeezed"? Yogurt that is 15 to 20 percent xanthan gum and other fillers? Same with sour cream? Does the FDA still exist??
xanthan gum ? WTH?
Any food outside its most natural state is "processed." Tomatoes: not processed; whole chicken breasts; processed. Oranges: not processed; orange juice of any kind, produced anywhere, even your own kitchen: processed. You get the idea.
OJ can be sold as "fresh squeezed" because it IS initially fresh-squeezed – it's not a lie. Misleading? Sure. But not untrue.
I even saw Organic Maple Syrup labels while I lived in the USA. In Quebec, where we produce 80% of all sugar maple products in the world, we call it PURE maple syrup. There is no such thing as organic maple syrup.
There is nothing better than real maple syrup. I'm actually tired of seeing the fakes and everybody trying to play the "real maple flavor" game, when all they're peddling is chemical flavored high fructose corn syrup. It's a lot like going in for a nice angus burger and getting a soy burger guised as real meat flavor. Sorry...if it's soy, it ain't meat. If it's corn, it ain't maple.
And if it ain't Labrador, it's mutt!
So, in your openion, we should let the companies get away with fraud (allready laws on the books for that), rather then stoping them, you are a dumba$$, these anti fraud laws should aply to every single product. I want a 4g cell phone that truely gets 4g all of the time. Not one that cannot get a signle in the middle of a major city.
The ads for cell coverage to state: "4G not available in all cities" Which legally does not require them to have 4G in any city.
It is about time that something be done about Big Maple Syrup; those corporate goons have walked over the rights of all honest maple syrup producers and threaten the rights of all Americans with cheap, high fructose corn syrup substitutes.
In fact, I would go so far as to recommend to our esteemed gentle-persons from NY that they establish a Strategic Maple Syrup Reserve, to be carved out deep in the granite of the Adirondack Mountains, although I bet those downstaters will get it.
Forget the Occupy Wall Street movement, we need to tap, baby, tap!
So, does this mean that we will see the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Maple Syrup? I can see the new official seal now, with the eagle clutching a branch of maple leaves. I can see the feds swooping down on farmer's markets everywhere to prosecute the maple syrup war.
funny,mr lechter. now put your mask back on
Maybe they can get a sponsorship from Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey. GO LEAFS!!!
Seems that it would not be effective: If Consolidated Maga-Ag brings in a 50,000 liter tanker of fake "Maple" syrup from China or something, who are you going to put in jail?
Better to make stiff fines part of it plus seizure of the bogus goods of course. Most of this is being done on a commercial level, not some small time guy whipping fake Maple syrup up in his bathtub.
There's plenty of existing Federal regulation about stuff like this that can be used.
Agreed, Jim P, that there are existing laws against this. The first time I heard of the MAPLE law, the article mentioned that the perp was facing an $11,000 fine and five years in jail for a mail-order sale he made. If five years is not enough for maple syrup counterfeiting, then what is? Note also that this law does not mention safety, as that is also covered.
And we wonder why people dignify the Tea Party with any attention!
um that is easy, the CEO and the bord of directors.
pokeman iz da beotch
can day pazz da law against stain pannyz
For all of you who say "doesn't the government have anything better to do?", consumer protection is one of the most important things the government actually does! You may be happy with unsafe vehicles, lead paint, and toxic baby toys, but I'm not. And when I buy a product I expect it to BE what the label says it is. If not, that's fraud, and it should carry consequences. Of course, I'd rather see more general regulation on this type of thing – not just maple syrup...
they shouldnt even be able to say maple flavored, my family is from vermont, I use real maple, and aunt jamima and the like taste as much like real maple as rubbing alcohol tastes like coniac.
"... to make the fraudulent sale of maple syrup a felony offense..." Ahhhh hahahahaha. ROFLMFAO. What kind of stupid joke are our esteemed Senators playing on us this time?
fraud of any kind should be a feloney and they should seize all assets of the com[any involved.
Treebeard's post Rulz! Scroll down for the TRUTH! Too bad it's buried in all the noise.
I thought the magic of the marketplace was supposed to free us from Government? It doesn't surprise me that when someone is worried about getting another buck in their pocket they love Government.
The economy is failing and congress is wasting time considering maple syrup!
and the recent news of people dying from tainted food doesnt bother you?
part od domestic tranquility (one of two things our government is actually responsible for) is makeing sure that illigal companies do not use fraud on the populous.
You are all my little beotches. I will skrew you all that I want so get used to it.
I hate it when y'all play Occupy my butt.
http://salinapost.com/2011/10/25/children-found-in-cages-inside-nebraska-home/
Daaaayuuum! Dey some phat ugly mutha fukaz!
I disagree with limiting this law to just fake maple syrup sellers, extend it to all companies and individuals that try and sell something that's fake or not as advertised. There are so many people/companies trying to con each one of us at every turn!
Please don't bring the U.S. Government into this fight. That dog won't hunt.
I would agree that the US government is about as worthless as a turd on a bus seat, but something needs to be done. You can't even go to the grocery store and pay the sale price for an item with out having to check and make sure they are scamming you.
What if a contractor put a roof on your house and said he used premium shingles, which you paid a premium for, but he really used the cheapest thing he could find. Your roof doesn't leak right now, but it is still fraud. Fraud is fraud even if it is "just syrup" and needs to be punished. Good for them!
But that will put a drag on business......
Fraud is big business and employees many people. At least that seem to be the deregulation argument in a nutshell.
That is the only justification that business has for deregulation. It is self evident that every time we deregulate anything, that newly deregulated thing always becomes croupt.
Ed Zachary!
Jimbob's got it right!
So what's next? California wine, Wisconsin Cheese & Florida Oranges all coming from China? Or even worse, some other emerging 3rd world country that could really care even less about product safety? The first rule of big business these days is the amount of money that can be made, the second rule is whether anybody will go to jail if they're caught. White collars don't mind the risk of paying a fine, they have lawyers that always negotiate to the lowest number and they slam the consumer or their employees with that cost, they just don't want to be worried about dropping the soap in the penitentiary shower...
that is why we need to change the laws so that ALL corporate crime, the penality is 100 times what ever the company made doing there illigal action. Taken out first from the ceo and bord of directors pensions and paychecks.
And nothing you wrote is actually true. Clearly you are siding with the problem, not the solution.
I can't believe anyone would do this and think they could get away with it. I've tried in vain to ban crappy corn based 'pancake' syrup from our house, my adult daughter hates maple, which is my fault because if I had given her only maple syrup as a child she would not know the difference. I'm trying to do it differently with my 6 year old. I can tell by looking at it and smelling it if it's real maple or not. Don't even have to taste it. I also have taken to ordering it online straight from Vermont to be certain I'm getting the best syrup for the best price, as it seems that even adding in shipping costs, the maple syrup at the grocery store costs more. And I am one to notice whether or not the syrup is Canadian or Vermont made. I do read the label, everyone should do the same. I'm totally for this bill, except I'm not sure jail is appropriate, unless they are making peple ill. I say fine them into poverty. People in New England work too hard to collect the raw syrup from the sugar maples to bring the rest of us a quality & uniquely American food product and if there are people out there trying to pass off something else as maple, then they need to pay in whatever way will get them to stop.
you probably shouldn't be feeding your kids that much syrup to begin with. try some non-sugar breakfast. thats why kids are so fat.
no kids are fat because parents are stupid and lazy, they let mickey d's be there cook, and x-box and playstation be there nannies. If parents um parented, then kids today would not be so fat and stupid.
REAL maple syrup will not make you fat. Although it is a carbohydrate/sugar, it is metabolized by the body in a completely different way–it does not spike insulin as sugar does, it is digested, and it contains some great nutrients such as iron. So even if the taste weren't so fantastic, you'd have other reasons to choose it over the alternatives.
Yeah, there's no mistaking fake syrup for real, although it doesn't stop people from putting some sort of brownish goo in a jar and labeling it as real maple syrup to make a sale. BTW, I can vouch personally for New Hampshire maple syrup. It's too bad they don't recognize "Fancy" grade anymore...that's what I grew up on. A nice light amber Grade A is a suitable substitute. :) Unfortunately, the makers of brown corn syrup have brainwashed consumers into thinking that "good" maple syrup should be dark as molasses and thick as honey. The REAL good stuff is neither.
All depends on what you're using it for. The darker, thicker stuff is better for cooking and certain dishes. Personally, if I could afford it, I'd have all the grades on hand and use it any time I need a sweetener.
Since corporations are people they will be locked up to serve their sentence in the New Improved Corporate Prison.
With all the real problems in this country they want to send people to prison for 5 years for selling fake maple syrup? This is why we are in trouble as a country, our law makers have lost their minds.
I think the farmers in Vermont feel differently. Since this is their lively hood.
It is a real problem. It just does not affect you. And since our government is not all about you, this is a perfectly good law.
i am a huge fan of authentic maple syrup. there is no comparison. it seems to me that 99.9% of people, at least in my experience, who purchase log cabin, aunt jemima, hungry jack, mrs. butterworths... don't realize they're not buying maple syrup at all, and probably have never even tasted real maple syrup.
I cantz read and da labels ain't in Braille, How can I tell the difference without the governments help?
...next you're going to say a Mega Roll TP is not 4 times the size a regular roll used to be ;)
Brace yourself: it's not bigger. They just made the cardboard core bigger to fool the average Walmart shopper's eye.
Really... 1. We let all kinds of people out of jail for any reason, but we'll send fraudelent mayple syrup producesd to jail for 5 years, its already a misdemeaner, punishable up to 1 year in jail, if they are currently being charged, are they getting the 1 year in jail? if not why would a judge give them 4 or 5 years under the new law.
2. If rebublicians passed a similiar bill, say making it a crime for oil producers to not label which type of crude is being used when refining gasoline. They would be accused of looking out for and lining big fat cats wallets. By the way, crude can be sweet or sour, the best crude is sweet and mostly comes from Texas!
Rodeoguy, the type of crude has no effect on the final product. Gasoline is gasoline, whether it's refined from West Texas Intermediate (sweet) or Arab Light (sour). The only difference is what happens inside the refinery fence. I guess you're another Texas Republican "energy expert"? Better stick to broncs and bulls...
The POINT is, that Fraud is already illegal, why are they wasting time on this meaningless bill, no-one is going to go to jail for up to 5 years, they are not even going to jail for the current maxximum.
every single pump in america should by law have to say where they get there oil from, so the consumer can actually vote with there wallets by purchesing zero arab oil.
PRIORITIES -
WALL STREET destroys the Global Economy and we GIVE Them a TRILLION DOLLARS to buy their Competition – but sell Imitation Maple Syrup and You Go To PRISON.
While our country sinks like a stone to the bottom of an economic and fiscal trench, our chosen lawmakers are mostly concerned that they have the best quality breakfast in the morning. Reality really is stranger than fiction.
Of course if you had actually read the article you would know that this bill went through the long slow boring channels and did not take any more time then other minor bills.
I only buy pure maple syrup, even though it is more expensive. Sometimes it is from the NE, sometimes not. My husband likes Mrs. Butterworth, but it's not syrup at all – just flavored high fructose corn syrup. I won't buy that stuff. I am with the industry to protect its rights – and to help get these imposters off the grocery market shelves. The less HFCS out there, the better.
I use local pure honey on my pancakes and waffels from the farmers market, 100% natural and tastes sooo much better than maple syrup or the fake stuff, not to mention cheaper and no trees are harmed and no bees are not harmed in harvesting honey.
I use the fake local honey, it's just as good and half the price, and I don't feel guilty about stealing from the worker bees who are oppressed by The Man.
Do you drink white russians with your honey and pancakes?!
I grew up on a VT maple production farm and I can tell you no trees are harmed making maple syrup. a small 1/4"-1/8" shallow hole is bored into the tree, a tap put in and the sap flows out as it naturally rises to create leaf bud growth in the spring. After the season ends the taps are pulled. Each season the old hole heals over. Trees are generally 8-10" in diameter before they are tapped and even the biggest trees won't have more than 3-4 taps. These trees can live for 300-400 years and aren't harmed by being tapped. If the tree is stressed by something else (like thrips eating the leaves) they will give it a break until conditions improve. Having a sugar bush is a great incentive to keep forested ecosystems intact and to preserve a historic rural way of life. Is syrup expensive? yes. it takes 40 gallons of sap to make just one gallon of maple syrup.
Look at these uncivilized, barbaric beings. They destroy their own planet and murder their own species. You will all perish.
The maple syrup industry is flexing its muscle to protect its turf. It's hard to believe we don't already have false advertising laws that apply to this situation.
We do, but the maple producers want stiffer penalties.
Clearly the current laws are meaningless.
we do, but big business has baought and paied for the right to have insignificant fines for fraud. And they convence the government to change the meaning of words to get away with murder. For instance hotdogs: you only need to disclose what 78% of the product is and it can still be concidered 100% real meat. That 22% can literally be fecies.
Yeah, I can see where it might seem that Senators are wasting time over such little things, but it's actually extremely important. Just like any other marketable commodity the integrity needs to be protected for the sake of the market and the industry. It's no different than cracking down on knock-off handbags, luxury watches or clothing.
Thank you...unlike all those on here ridiculing this attempt to get a counterfeit off the market, it's nice to see that someone realizes the importance of integrity. Sad that it takes a law to enforce it, but we need some way of verifying that what we consume is actually what it says it is.
With all of the problems we're having right now–economic woes, soldiers dying overseas, terrorists who want us dead–it's good to see our government tackling the greatest problem of all: making sure I have real maple syrup on my pancakes!
'Our government' is my state trying to protect an industry that is important for the state, regardless of what you say. But it's okay if you don't care about some people's jobs and livelihoods. I guess.
Trixie, way to miss the point dingbat.
JakoB, amen.
this is part of the economic problem. China has been known to be shipping in fake syrup as well as many other products in to walmart in the guise of real US style products, but cheaper. Maple syrup is expensive, so people will buy the cheaper stuff thinking they are getting real maple syrup when they are getting China fake crap. Thus hurting even MORE US businesses.
At least you picked a screen name that makes sense this time.
Unfortunately Eire Ann....the maple syrup served at Cracker Barrel in those little bottles isn't 100% maple syrup. It is a mixture of maple syrup and cane syrup.
As a person who is allergic to corn syrup I am very happy to see this legislation. I hope other states follow suit like Michigan.
Hey Mike, I, too, am allergic to corn and eating products like maple syrup and honey are crap shoots when they shouldn't be. We should be able to eat foods based on what the label says and know we will be safe.
either way, it's diabetes in a bottle.
So what if I lose a limb... as long as that towering stack of pancakes in front of me is glistening with 100% pure syrup. Hey, we all gotta die of something.
you say that while probibly guzzeling a can of soda, with 100 times the suger of a serving of maple suryp.
Maple syrup, although a sugar, does not spike insulin. It is metabolized, like food, and contains nutrients. I'm not saying someone with diabetes can gorge themselves on it, but they can probably include it as one of their allowed carbs with less danger than most other sugars.
Jess, are you aware that maple syrup is almost entirely sucrose and water? Maple syrup is not metabolized any differently from table sugar. If sugar is dangerous, then so is maple syrup. But it sure is yummy.
WOW... Im glad i didnt elect any of these losers....
Yes...Our tax dollars hard at work. Why not concentrate on creating jobs, curbing sky rocketing energy costs and the health care debacle? LOL I know we will all sleep better at night knowing our pancake syrup is legit.
While this act may not create jobs, it can save existing jobs for people who make real maple syrup. It's much more labor intensive making the real stuff than that glop from high fructose corn sugar.
There is no comparison between pure maple syrup and the high fructose corn syrup that these large corporations pawn off as "maple" syrup or "pancake" syrup. When was the last time you poured real maple syrup over your pancakes in the morning? If you haven't recently, try it, nothing compares! Enjoy!
so, so true. vermont and quebec have amazing maple syrup. the trick is finding it for a reasonable cost...
Jimbo... are you going to post this every two hours? 6:46am, 8:46am, 10:46am, etc. Is that the standard lobbyist protocol?
Good for them. Please regulate cinnamon labeling as well, 90% of the country doesn't know what *real* cinnamon tastes like because the majority of the stuff in markets is cassia, not real cinnamon. And there is NO regulation to state that it's not real cinnamon! As a cook, finding the real stuff is difficult!
You can get real cinnamon at Mountain Rose Herbs. And it costs less than the crappy stuff the stores sell. The difference here is that maple syrup is produced in the US while cinnamon is produced outside the US, and this law is to protect our local industry.
Penzies spice catalog. Incidently many chiefs prefer cassia in many aplications.
I could think of at least 100 other more constructive ways for government to be spending their time.
Your Congress hard at work, ladies and gentlemen.
I believe that most people know the difference. If you love maple syrup just go to Cracker Barrel, order pancakes and keep the little bottles and hide them from the kiddies. Actually I have a mini hoard of the little dears in my cabinet right now.
CB uses a mixture of real maple and cane suryp actually, so you fail.
the great state of Vermont will not apologize for its maple syrup
Wow – this is certainly game changing legislation at its finest. I'd say we need to boot these two Senators as obvioulsy they have nothing more to do with their time that toi sponsor such redicous legislation. No wonder our US Political System is where its at today with such stupid things to waste time on.
They are protecting the JOBS of their states' citizens from the hugely subsidized corn syrup industry. Hardly "stupid".
Last I noticed, this country does not exist for your personal pleasure. There are several hundred million other people whose opinion matters more than yours. Particularly since you do not seem to be able recognize that needs that do not affect you are also important.
5 years for incorrect labelling. Fair enough – all they have to do is put a correct label to avoid jail. And if it takes a threat of 5 years in the pen to ensure compliance, so be it.
Now – how about labelling GMO foods as such? Currently the law says they don't need to be labelled at all!! How does that serve the consumer? Make a similar law regarding correct labelling of GMO "foods."
Couldn't agree more with labeling GMO foods. Although I think you would find the majority of our food has been bastardized. Thanks to our elected officials giving into and protecting the likes of Monsanto.
Agreed, but you can blame that on Tyson and Monsanto's lobying BILLIONS of dollers to the government. We need to ban all forms of cooporate lobbying and gigt giveing. The death penality for the ceo and full bord of any company caught swaying the government with funds would do the trick.
False advertising is false advertising. If you call something maple syrup and it's in fact not maple syrup then you've basically committed theft.
Kind of like American car manufacturers saying they build quality cars... false advertising! They may build "Kwalluhtee Karz" but it's not the same nor should be legal to advertise one as the other even though they phonetically sound the same.
I understand the push from the United maple producers to have labels and fines for trying to pass off fake maple syrup but even if the bill is passed the Artificial Maple syrup producers will have the law changed so it benefits them citing the same old thing that all mass producers say that it new bill will harm our economy and they will need to fire a couple thousand people in order to turn a profit
In the end after a few back door “drug” deals with our elected leaders. it will be the same mass produces will profit from this and the small to mid size food produces will be screwed
No real loss of jobs to the artificial food producers as they produce significant more amounts of flavored corn syrup. The artificial food producers will still produce a cheaper (cost\quality) product as "pure" maple syrup is more expensive. Most consumers by the cheaper crap and don't know the difference.
All these discussions has totally brightened my day. I started off this morning feeling crappy. But arguments over maple syrup is amusing. :)
This legislation is completely unneccessary. It's very easy to identify pure maple syrup – it's the stuff that's at least 5 times more than what most of us use.
So you’re saying it OK to charge someone 4-5 dollars a small bottle of colored sugar water and label it Maple syrup
...and 10 times better.
Seriously? Maple syrup? Seriously? This is not a priority and it is shameful that the U.S. Senate would waste taxpayers money on this stupid Bill, when there are far more pressing matters going on right now. This is why they should introduce term limits for U.S. Senators.
Seriously.
You are right it is completely ridiculous to focus on maple syrup.........lets focus on Honey that's where the real crime against humanity is at.
Do you understand how our government works???? Shouldn't the representatives from Maine and Vermont defend their state and constituents? Duh??? You would be pissed if your representatives didn't stand up for your state's people.
Actually, maple syrup production is a significant part of the agricultural economy in New England, especially VT, and this is a nice way to both protect consumers and JOBS.
Plus the fake stuff tastes like crap.
Hear, hear! Agreed.
You may believe that this is waste of time as the same a Maple produces may believe that your opinion/ problems that you have presented to your elected leader is a waste of time. Just like Macadamia Nut production is important to a grower in Hawaii or laws governing school placement under High power lines is important to a parent. It’s all relevant to the individual citizen and voicing their opining and presenting a problem to their elected leaders is cornerstone of democracy.
True we have bigger fish to fry but if the individual voice is not heard over the crowd what good is demonomancy?
Talk about fiddling while Rome burns. With all the problems this country is facing, this is what these lawmakers are focused on. And as many posters have noted, people get less time for serious crimes that harm people. Really? Really? I hope Saturday Night Live does a sketch on this. You just can't make this stuff up. Can you imagine being put in jail and getting asked by another inmate: "So what are you in here for?"
Unfortunately such a law making fraudulent claims of pure maple syrup will have no effect on the corporate producers such as Pinnacle Foods. The corporations will just pay a small fine where the small business will be shutdown.
Its still ok to rub the Mrs Buttersworth bottle while eat my pancakes, though, right?
Yes, but if she giggles, you might want to seek some help ;)
That right, let's worry about the tragedy that is non-Vermont maple syrup! Don't worry, my army of death cantaloupes will continue to destroy you!
My horde of mindless singing minions will sing you to death!
LOL....5 years in jail. People dont get that much time for selling illegal drugs. Goes to show you how out of touch these guys are. Sell illegal drugs to our kids and get 1-3 years in jail, sell fake syrup and get 5 years. I wonder how much time you will get if you kill a maple tree....25 to life?
Looks like the lobbyists are in full bloom in Vermont and Maine.
Don't you think these senators have more important things to do? This is what's wrong with DC. People are out of work, hippies crowding the cities "protesting", and a tax system that punishes success. This makes DC more of a joke than it is.
Tax system that punishes the successful? ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME? I do agree that this is pretty much a non issue, and a waste of time. Hippies? Protesting that the banks were bailed out for making STUPID loans to people that would never have been able to repay them? Yeah, that money that bailed out the banks should have gone to home owners to pay off those loans so that the banks could sit and spin, but instead that money went to the banks to pay the jackass's BIG FAT BONUS'S for screwing the economy. Yeah good work.
Quit pushing that "hippie" nonsense. The protestors are just regular people who are fed up with the direction this country is headed in. I'm a middle aged mother of two, have a good job, a college degree and a mini-van. I'm in NO WAY a "hippie." Marginalizing and de-humanizing us is just how people who'd like to shut everyone up want us to be portrayed. Are YOU happy with the current economy??? If not, then get on board. We're fighting for your rights too.
I will start buying Maple Syrup; when these companies stop charging me 15 dollars a bottle for syrup. I can get a bottle of "fake" syrup for 3/4 the price. They even sell non-maple, with no high fructose corn syrup for about 4/5 dollars; which is still cheaper than what they are asking for. I just think its kinda crazy.
It's because real maple syrup costs more to produce. How could they sell it for less if they took a loss on each sale? If you prefer the corn syrup stuff then keep on buying it. It sounds like this law is to prevent the corn syrup producers from pretending their product is made from maple syrup. As it is, corn syrup is probably a rip off because the ingredients are dirt cheap.
Labor cost....Labor cost.... people want to be paid to much.... when will we get it... we want to buy cheap but if it is what WE make or build or sell we suddenly think we should be paid $20 an hr. and our product is worth it.
Your loss, buddy.
A lot of hard work goes into real maple syrup, from tapping to harvesting to boiling and bottling. If you want to save some money and get a real good product, don't buy extra fancy... get a jug of grade B medium amber. Tastes more like maple, it's sweeter and richer, and usually much cheaper.
I won't buy anything other than real maple syrup. Specifically, the kind that comes from sugar maples, then is boiled down into syrup. It's not as sweet and cloying as the fake stuff. Plus, I'm helping real farmers, not agribusiness by purchasing a superior product.
I am quite sure you have no idea the amount of effort that goes into making pure maple syrup. Secondly, there is no comparison of pure maple syrup to fake maple syrup . Small and fancy glass bottles add to the exorbitant cost of real maple syrup. Buy the half gallon/gallon [plastic jug] and the overall cost is much less and will probably last for most of a year with judicious use. C'mon, the pure maple syrup "industry" is microscopic compared to the corn based industries. Do you really want to see pure maple syrup production disappear? That's like saying we should find a substitute for pure honey because three dollars for a 12 oz. jar is too much and bees are just a pain in the ass. I have a gut feeling that you spend money here and there for frivolities, such as three dollar Starbucks/DD coffees in the morning. Spare us your complaining.
Real maple syrup has an aftertaste that I find objectionable and it isn't as 'sweet.' Actually, I and my brothers grew up using plain old corn syrup because our family was not financially well-off (we were dirt-poor, why sugar coat the facts). I still use plain corn syrup on my waffles and pancakes but draw the line when it comes to fresh cornbread. Cornbread deserves a good brown-sugar based syrup, with a bit of maple flavoring!
Thank you for your honest opinion. It's hard to find answers like yours everyday now without people making up stuff.
I agree. all my life I have been using King Syrup which is basically pure corn syrup, or in my neck of the woods "Molasses." I can't find it in my state so I buy it when I am back home in the north east or have it shipped to me. I can say that I have never had 100% pure maple syrup before. I am willing to try it. (If it is in fact 100% pure Vermont Maple Syrup)
Great for you guys, but for us folks who are allergic to corn, we need honest labeling. Imagine what it would be like to be afraid to buy foods even when the label says it's safe for you to eat. It is the LAW that you need to honestly disclose ingredients. It is NOT okay when companies choose not to. People can get very, very sick when manufacturers choose to lie.
so that aftertaste you speak of- that is flavor is...maple! When you taste real syrup it first tastes sweet, then it tastes "mapley". Anything other than that is considered an "off" or "budy" flavor (budy syrup comes from harvesting and boiling sap too late in the season when the leaf buds are coming out). It's fine if you don't like it. Most people don't know what it is they are tasting having gown up eating corn syrup as you say you did. Maple syrup is incredibly work and time intensive to make. there is a reason it's so expensive. Anyone who complains about the price should work in a sugar bush for a day or spend 16 hours boiling...
"sugar bush" ????
Nah, too easy.
I like this but think it should be more widespread in providing detailed knowledge about of our food and consequences for poor standards. Just the other day the local news aired a story that the fresh fish you buy 80% of the time is really a cheaper fish falsely sold under the name of a more expensive fish. When you throw in GMO seeds in our crops, the hormones and chemicals in our dairy and meat, and farm raised fish raised in disgusting conditions, its a scary situation. I'm well aware that most of the population doesn't care about the way their food is manufactured and long term consequences of eating it this way, but for those of us that do, it would be great to have an honest report that we can trust when making the decision about what to buy to feed our families!
As a side note, you see a similar issue to maple syrup with honey in the stores. When you buy honey, check the label as current standards allow companies to label their product as pure honey and then add other ingredients such as corn syrup to produce with less cost.
Yes Tara, we all know eating GMO foods will somehow mutate and change the DNA in our own bodies and we will all become zombies. Genetically modified can even encompass grafting of plants. Next time you buy into the hype and spend $6 for a gallon of milk because you think it is "safe", remember the cow ate GMO grains because the corn they eat today is NOT the same corn from 1850. It has been "modified" through species exclusion, grafting, and playing with the strains of maize grown in the US. So now that you know your milk, and every other "organic" food you consume has been at one point genetically altered, enjoy. Thank you for spending your money to buy into the hype.
Don't forget to mention that the likes of Monsanto also "own" US agriculture. If a bordering farmer plants unaltered crops (if they can even get the seeds) and the altered strains pollinate the unaltered farm, the big corporate farm can sue the small farmer for stealing their technology. Yea that's fair. You can thank corporate pandering by our elected officials for that.
Thanks Peter. I agree which is why I buy my meats/dairy from local farmers who use only grass fed animals. I nor my meats consume corn at all since it has been modified so much it is it's own pesticide. Its a bit more expensive but I would rather sacrifice another area and spend more on quality food.
Kana, interesting commnent. I didn't know that.
Anyone who buys Aunt Jemima or another big name "Maple Syrup" knows it's not real...the public isn't getting fooled. Real Maple Syrup is quite expensive (like 4-5 bucks more a bottle, and probably for less) and also, the taste is just obviously inferior. But there are other obvious signs. They print "artificial flavoring" on the label...and if you're still not sure? Read the ingredients.
Now, if this bill is targeting actual companies who ARE putting "Real Maple Syrup" on the label and then in the ingredients, putting the same, and it is NOT real...then it's fraud. Felony fraud? I don't think so. But maybe the current punishment hasn't deterred would be 'fakers' out there. I'm just hoping this isn't intended for those big companies that make it all too clear that the main ingredient is corn syrup...
Why can't we do this with American Grown Meat??Any Intelligent Life Out There?
You said it. I almost refuse to believe that the meat in those tube looking wrappers at Walmart is actually beef. I only buy my beef from a butcher or from Publix Supermarkets mneat department.
The problem is there is, or was a company out there that packaged their fake stuff in containers similar in shape, color, and graphic design to the real deal. Most consumers honestly don't pay THAT much attention to what they grab. Esp when mentally they already associate that particular style of packaging with real Vermont, or Maine, etc maple sryup. Companies employ all kinds of ingenius and sometimes devious marketing and selling techniques to get consumers to purchase their goods.
Well that may be...so if they are going to pass a law, then they should do it with an added requirement that there be some type of certification board for the syrup. Like a "stamp" or "seal" that goes along with it...
Making something that looksl like and tastes like somethign else... Whatever happened to the concept of patents or trademarks? Oh you can't patent something that old? Well then put a damned label on your bottle with the percentages in the product – wait isn't that required by the FDA? Hmmm... Next you will want the government to assign to each of us someone that will read for us, so the government can tell us what it is the labels say. You are so torqued by someone making their product look too much like yours, hire a lawyer and goto court – don't allow the government to render doctrine by law on this. That is why we find ourselves with girls wanting to be Boy Scouts and Boys wanting to be Girl Scouts and qudraplegics crying that it is not fair that they cannot be on the Gold Medal sprint team, everyone has relied on the government to make things equal.
Wow John, you are riled up about this huh!? But let's consider the source of the proposed legislation, these congressmen are from Vermont and Maine, this is their shtick. Can't really scorn them for taking issue with an issue from inside their states. The maple syrup industry, I guess, is important to them. Ensuring that only real maple syrup is sold as such is a part of what they do. Like corn industry support from congressmen in the Midwest, or fishery issues in the Pac NW, Alaska, oil also in Alaska and Texas, water treatment in Florida, etc. The list goes on. In the big scheme of things, yes, it's a bit ridiculous. But for them, it's part of their constituency. And they obviously love real maple syrup. Yum.
Corn syrup is in just about everything sweet nowadays. It's cheaper (which is important). It is also more harmful than real sugar (not important, if cheaper is important).
Sorry, but studies show that there is no difference in the way your body processes cane sugar, corn syrup or HFCS. Please don’t propagate bad information.
@ Spark: These wouldn't be the same scientists that actually helped create HFCS? Would they? Gee, and I bet there is NO agenda based on how much more money these companies are making just because it's way cheaper to produce than "regular" sugar. Sorry, but I steer clear of it as much as I possibly can–which isn't easy. And when I do consume it, why is it that I physically feel unsatisfied? It's MSG-like in nature;can't ever get enough–which * coincidentally* propagates the need to consume more products with HFCS–which are MOST commercially available products.
Thank you. Thank you so much.
I'm gonna BBQ your azz in Molasses !!!!!
@spark – since the implementation of HFCS, the US has become increasingly fatter. Look around! I don't remember this "epidemic" when I was younger because we still used sugar, not HFCS. People haven't changed, but the crap we eat has. Next time, site your "studies" so we all can see your real source of information. I bet you only heard it on TV but never really read the study.
@ Peter. My apologies for not citing the many studies that find HFCS equal to sugar, but I thought a savvy poster such as yourself would be familiar with sites like Google and Wikipedia. My point: Among the thousands of scientists out there, there will always be at least 1 dissenter who is willing to take and prove the unpopular side. Can we agree that just like Global Warming, this sugar vs HFCS battle is still undecided?
If your too stupid to read a label or even care enough- you dont deserve to be "protected" with another silly, wastefull BS law.
This isn't aimed at Aunt Jemima and the other mainstream syrups that correctly label their products. This is aimed at those that label the syrup as "pure maple" when it's not.
OMG....in today's day and age, with all the struggles and strife in the country – we throw the burning issue of fake maple syrup into the political arena?? Wow.
It's not political at all.... dummy... they simply want to protect an industry from fraud.
I bought a fake Oreo yesterday......Jail time for everyone!!!!
Someone please tell the Bonehead Senators us smart people really can tell the difference and take care of ourselves. We don't need no protectin'.
I faked an "O" yesterday ....
If you take a closer look, you may find a lot of examples of how the various levels of fraud, manipulation and lack of ethics, such as this situation, have led the economic world to "this day and age".
>Rosie
>I bought a fake Oreo yesterday......Jail time for everyone!!!!
If your cookie was in any way shape or form labeled as an Oreo, your sarcasm may be completely valid, though, somewhat misplaced. I'm pretty sure the label in no way shape or form tried to make you believe it was actually an Oreo, tasted like an Oreo, or was even made from the same ingredients as an Oreo, and that's the point of this story.
No one is going to gail, this is just the governments excuse to hire more lawyers and regulators. Maple syrup is good, but I prefer Mrs Butterworth!
What we need is a law protect the trees from the sadistic butchery inflicted on them to drain their life blood for profit. Innocent trees are scored and sliced, their skin flayed and their flesh punctured, then left to bleed by their torturers. The liquid that sustains their very lives is then collected and consumed in some gruesome, ritualistic fashion akin to some ancient sacrificial ceremony. Prosecution rather than protection is needed for these barbaric savages who mutilate another living for perversity and profit. Who speaks for the trees?
Vegans. Well said! HA!
I'm just sayin'... using the justification of the forest mutilators and their politico protectionists, I could perform periodic, ritualistic blood-letting on the neighbor's dog, package and distribute the processed plasma as a protein rich beverage and pocket the profits – as long as the unwilling canine doesn't die in the process and I label the product as 100% Pure Labrador. Yes/No?
dat da whack stuff man!
Is this Anderson Cooper's Ridiculist? I mean I'm a New Englander who loves his maple syrup, but if a restaurant serves me corn syrup will I demand the owner go to jail for five years versus a year (or any jail time at all)? I'm sorry but we have too many people in prison nowadays, and we don't need everyone in the Midwest to join them.
Try being allergic to corn. Then you'd care!
what a waste of time and money .who cares about maple syrup .there are more important things to worry about then some stupid un-enforceable law.what we need in this country is less politicians not more to come up with something as stupid as this just to justify thier job while alot of other people don;t even have one.
I guess we know who you work for...
Agreed, it's a complete waste. However, it's yet another example of big business pushing the ethical lines and trying to trick consumers into getting one thing, when in fact they are getting another. The term "bait and switch" has become a cliche' but this is another example of it. What do we do, ignore it and get ripped off, or waste money and fix it? Some consumer laws are simply not strict enough and this is one area that needs a lot of improvement.
God forbid Vermont moves to protect one of the unique features of the state.
I prefer my maple syrup as it is, artificial. The term maple syrup is generic, it doesn't just mean actual syrup from a maple tree but instead maple flavored.
You must not be from New England, or any other region that produces REAL Maple Syrup. There is a HUGE difference. Maple Syrup is no just a "generic" term. The fake crap you get at fast food restaurants, and most everywhere else is Pancake Syrup – High Fructose Corn Sryup with some coloring and maple flavoring (read chemicals mixed to taste like the real deal). Real Maple Syrup is from Maple trees, harvested in a very narrow window of time during the year and boiled down to become concentrated deliciousness. Now if you prefer fakeness, that's fine, but for a company to mislabel and decieve consumers is wrong. Many other food sub-industries have labeling requirements that need to be followed in order to be organic, low fat, etc. so why not this area as well.
Exactly! Well said.
Actually, thats exactly what it means. Artificial should be labeled more clearly than "log cabin" or "Mrs Butterworths". Maybe a big FAAAAAAAKKKKEEE on the label.
Real is real, theres nothing even close to real maple syrup.
Youre whats wrong with the food industry.
This is one of the most morinic statements on here.
Wrong!
You are wrong on that one. Maple syrup is maple syrup, derived 100% from Maple sap. Come to Vermont and visit a sugar house if you don't understand the intense labor and the small time window involved to make the real thing.
Is your artificial stuff actually labeled as "Maple Syrup"?? Or is it labeled as "Pancake Syrup"?
Obviously you have never had real Maple Syrup. I grew up having my trees tapped during the 2nd thaw every year in New Hampshire. In pre-school and elementary school we took field trips to our local syrup producer to see how they boil the syrup down as well. Also, I still have get almost 2 gallons of "real" maple syrup sent to me from New Hampshire to my home in South Carolina every year. The crap made from corn syrup is not even comparable. My wife had never even tried it until I brought some home, and she is 10 years older than I am and from Michigan. So, don't make ignorant comments if you do not know what you are talking about. Their is nothing artificial about real Maple syrup, especially to the producers who tap 100's to 1000's of trees every winter to produce it.
Holy S***! WTF are these guys smoking? A felony with 5 years prison time for saying your maple syrup is authentic when it's not? You could probably get less time if you put arsenic in your syrup. These guys are scumbags who ruin our country when they kiss the ass of businesses like they're doing here.
So I guess the idea of capitalism is not used when it comes to maple syrup.... Really a felony? This is extremely stupid. There is already laws on the books that producers have to follow when labelling, if you don't like it then DON'T BUY IT!
1. Are there more important bills than this one? Yes, but it's not like this one was fast-laned. There's always something more important, but you have to eventually get to the boring ones in the list. *Eventually.*
2. I wish this bill was broader to include anything with corn syrup. Seriously, I hate buying maple syrup because it's hard to find one with *just* maple syrup instead of something with 50 other ingredients. And somehow, the latter ends up 30% cheaper....that's kind of scary to think about. But it's the same reason why I buy Hunt's tomato sauce over Ragu, even though Ragu is cheaper by a few cents, but has crazy amounts of other additional (and unnecessary) ingredients.
This will pass of course because nobody is in the senate to defend the fakers. It would pass if the penalty was death which it might as well be considering how insane the 5 year sentence is. Let me ask you this, how is anyone with a store supposed to verify the amount of maple in the syrup that they sell? Is there some sort of maple testing kit? This is an impractical law pushed by big business and politicians looking to score enough points to get re-elected. It has nothing to do with what's good for farmers or anyone else.
This is not about the store selling the syrup, it is about the people producing the fake syrup. Also, the Maple industry is not exactly big business, it is mostly relatively small farmers who work very hard to produce real maple syrup. You are way off base with your post.
It's about votes and sound bytes, nothing more.
Agreed. It is a very small business. I know the sugar house that tapped our tree's growing up usually tapped them every year in return for a few gallons of syrup. They would typically get a few gallons of sap out of each tree each day for a few weeks each year, but when boiled down, off the few acres of trees we had they would be lucky to get 10 gallons of actual syrup after the whole process is done. It is a very small process. With Corn Syrup they can produce a much higher yield. We were glad to get 2 gallons of syrup out of it every year considering the work and letting them use our trees. It is a very small business and allot like a bartering system. In some forested areas in Canada they do tap 100's of trees with tubing and use pump houses to get higher yields, but that is not used everywhere.
Yeah, the maple syrup lobby pulls in massive votes..... What are you talking about?
This is a normal truth in advertising situation and as noted, does not involve the retailers unless they knowingly colluded.
There are already laws covering truth in advertising so this isn't a normal situation. More BS to fill the coffers of law firms.
Maple syrup . . Big business? Really? You obviously haven't been to a maple house in Maine or New Hampshire. It's hard work done only a few weeks of a year by only a few people trying to make a living . . . WHO NEED PROTECTION FROM BIG BUSINESS !!!
I bet the corn syrup lobby is much, much larger than the maple syrup lobby.
Great! Our country is falling apart all around us and our Elite Senators feel it is more important to put someone in jail for 5 years for making fake maple syrup! I guess the idiots on Wall Street that were slapping together mortgage-backed securities that were doomed to failure and selling them to unwitting investors while short-selling them on the stock market did nothing wrong. They should go free. The fake maple syrup people are menaces to society and MUST be put away!
Personally I just don't see the point at this time in our country. So much is going on and so much needs to be done about our deficit spending and inflation problems. To be worried about syrup at a time like this is just plain foolish. I'm starting to grow very tired of hearing about new laws and rules every single day. I'm sick of the freedoms of many being taken away by the few who seem to be above these laws. Our government is out of control.
Jordan,
Any positive act no matter how miniscule is a positive. It is obvious that the government does not have the ability to make large wholesale changes at one time which in turn would have any benefit, so nip at it. It can't hurt!
Jordan, are you seriously trying to defend the right to commit fraud? Really? Are you a moron?
Lemme see, our country is falling apart around us, in large part due to the new robber baron era of the megacorps.
Part of the abuses of the megacorps is the steadily increasing adulteration of food and obfuscation of the real product we are getting. This law seems to be one small arrow fired in their direction.
First and foremost, this is a food blog. That means the articles are going to be about food. This article is about truth-in-labeling of food. Last time I looked at a wanna-be maple syrup label, it stated clearly that it was "maple-flavored syrup." This is akin to Ocean Spray's original cranberry juice label stating that it is a "drink" or a "cocktail." They can't call it real fruit juice because it has less actual fruit juice than the law allows. This law is going to go away faster than you can say "frivolous bill."
First and foremost, this is a food blog. That means the articles are going to be about food. This article is about truth-in-labeling of food. Last time I looked at a wanna-be maple syrup label, it stated clearly that it was "maple-flavored syrup." This is akin to Ocean Spray's original cranberry juice label stating that it is a "drink" or a "c0cktail." They can't call it real fruit juice because it has less actual fruit juice than the law allows. This law is going to go away faster than you can say "frivolous bill."
Waste of time and money...Pouring sugar syrup over pancakes and calling it "maple syrup" has been happening for decades.
Everyone is still free to make sugar syrup, they just can't label it as maple syrup. It is like making a soy burger and labeling it as beef. I know maple farmers and they are extremely hard working people running their small businesses, and they don't need big corporations making a sugar syrup and passing it off as something it is not.
omg ! you mean lying corporations will be forced to be honest....isn't that unconstitutional according to the GOP constitution !?
I think this is pretty unneeded. I'm a newer Vermonter, and one thing that many people don't understand is that Vermonters are very proud of their state and very proud of their maple syrup. Though this may seem quite petty to others around the nation, it is a big deal to Vermonters. They really like their maple syrup, and they really like to buy everything local.
It seems that this is a state issue, not a national issue.
Since it is a national market it is a national issue.
Ruth, did you mean "needed"? Confused.
There is no comparison between pure maple syrup and the high fructose corn syrup that these large corporations pawn off as "maple" syrup. When was the last time you poured real maple syrup over your pancakes in the morning? If you haven't recently, try it, nothing compares! Enjoy!
I just enjoyed some real maple syrup on my waffles this morning...I agree with you. I am one of those people who pays attention to the foods I buy. I hope that when the lable says something, that it is a true representation of what I'm getting. Penalize the frauds!
Agreed. Real maple syrup is rich in minerals and is a cancer fighting agent. But it shouldn't be a law. Just read the label and the price tag. That will tell you if it's real maple syrup.
Well said!
a fake is a fake
Its time these corporations stop defrauding the public!!
It's nice to know that all the other problems of this Nation have been solved. Now our U.S. Senators can tackle the truly vexing conundrums of our times. Like Maple Syrup. ;)
It is good to know that we can actually work on more than one problem at a time. Do you really think gov't should only tackle one issue at a time? And this does address an economic issue even if it is relatively small compared to national GDP. It is big to those involved.
While I support truth in advertising and think one should know what they are purchasing,5 years in prison is too much.
People molest kids and get less time than that,which is wrong on another level completely,but really?
How is someone who makes false syrup,in no way endangering the lives of others,deserving of 5 years locked up?
There should be another penalty for non violent crimes like this.Maybe If we werent d1cking around with petty offenses there would be less free child molesters!
Sounds like molestation punishment needs to upped. Besides for the same reason molesters get smaller sentences so will most first time syrup offenders. Point is to get their attention and make a REAL punishment.
Seems like the whole world is in turmoil and along come these fools taking up folks time with their garbage. Another useless law proposed by useless politicians.
Only if you are not involved. We live in a large, diverse country and it is NOT all about you. I am not involved even indirectly and I do support these laws. That cancels out your opposition.
Just a do nothing law to maintain an election. They can't do squat to someone in California selling it over the 'net.
Since this would be a federal law, yes they can.
"Just a do nothing law to maintain an election ..."
Ohhh. "...election ..." That's not the word I thought I saw ...
At a time like this, sponsors of this bill have no sense of priority. Seriously, who cares? It's no wonder Congressional approval ratings are so low.
Leahy is a shining example of the many congressional buffoons. Time to take back our gov't and vote these a–holes out!
Time for you two to get a civics education. Government is for everyone not just you.
Who cares? I care! My neighbors care! I live in Vermont, and many of my friends produce real maple syrup. It's an important part of how they support their homes and families. It's not about corn syrup or needless laws . . . it's about the many families who need this income from their product. If companies color water and call it milk, that's illegal. If they color water and sugar and call it orange juice, it's illegal, and it should be. It's not orange juice. My friends and neighbors deserve the same protection for their labor intensive syrup.
Political pandering and a waste of taxpayer money, nothing more. There are already laws in place.
Besides, sugar is sugar anyway. Stay away from any of that stuff that's bottled or packaged, if you value your health, whether it's "articifical" or "natural".
Why can't the label law act take care of this issue? A product that is mislabeled must be recalled and destroyed.
I would disagree. I for one find the taste of real maple sugar to be quite different than corn syrup alternatives. Given that there are many regional producers of this item, it is not always easy to know which brand is the best, and so I purchase several different ones. It is disappointing that it should somehow be *allowed* to mislable a product. Ideally, we would have laws that require EVERY product sold for comsumption to be properly labled. An example would be things like *chocoloate chip cookies* that actually have chocolate in them. Surprisingly many don't. If I buy a pound of ground beef, I expect beef, not pork to be what I am purchasing. Many sell 80% beef, 20% pork products as *Beef*. Why is it so threatening to require companies to tell you what they actually are selling so one can make an informed decision?
Actually moron we have laws already regarding labeling and information. That's why an electric toothbrush comes with a 12-page "manual" which contains 11 pages of safety information and is in 13 different languages. What is missed is that people who are stupid enough to need it are too stupid to read it.
The manual has nothing to do with the labeling laws.
For some, ignorance is bliss. I suppose most fast food chain restaurants serve maple syrup substi'tutes? Just a hunch.
(A grand fu'ck you to cnn censorship.)
I thought I was the only one who cursed the censorship
fu'ck cnn,fu'ck them up their stupid a'sses
So god damn fuc'kin sick of this obscene language bullsh'it that gets false flags on normal comments.
Looks like it's time for the OCCUPY MAPLE FOREST movement to begin.
MODERATE THIS BIATCH!
u da man!
For some, ignorance is bliss. I suppose most fast food chain restaurants serve maple syrup substitutes? Just a hunch.
I don't know how many people out there know how difficult it is to make maple syrup. The first thing you have to do is tap the Sugar Maple trees and you need a lot of trees, collecting the sap which isn't ready to pour over your pancakes, is done every morning trudging through sometimes deep snow and (forgive me if I get a little creative) and the pint of sap collected from each tree is then poured into huge kettles where they bring it to a low simmer for up a few days untill the water content is removed and you get your golden syrup. Now these companies who make fake syrup should lable their corn syrup as that with maple flavor, and not charge me for the real deal. And yes I am a New Englander who has friends that produce maple syrup, No they do not give me a discount, althoug I wish they did.
Actually, most maple sugar groves of any size use a system of tubes that are interconnected throughout the grove that tap the trees and funnel the sap directly without any human involvement.
yup, dat be it
American, home of the scam artist. Lets all root for big business after all they really have our best interest at heart. Step right up and get your what looks like real maple syrup, but the sugar actually come from everything but a maple tree.
Leahy, the main sponsor of this bill, is a Democrat.
Really Mapleman? The grocery store had it for sale at about $15 a tiny bottle. Talk about the farmer ripping off the consumer. Or is it the middleman-grocer ripping me off...
Sugar tastes mostly like sugar. It's just that trace smoky flavor/dark color that makes 'Maple Syrup' taste/look better than karo syrup on my stack of flapjacks.
You are not forced to buy the real stuff.
Have you ever tried the real thing? It's heaven. I was never much of a fan of that dark, uber sweet, tooth-aching, nasty Aunt Jemima / Log Cabin type of syrup, but it's all we could afford growing up. Later in life, (start the angel chorus) a loved one gifted me with a gallon of fine amber Vermont maple syrup. I've never looked back. That gallon is long gone and is deliciously missed. Now, if I can't use that level of maple syrup, I'll have an omelet please and thank you.
No way dude. Yeah it is pricey by comparison but the real thing is really worth it.
Don't these people have anything better to do? The courts already are filled with frivolous lawsuits. While makers of authentic maple syrup should be protected raising the crime to a felony seems a little over the top. Here we have a bi-partisan issue when it comes to what surely has to be a special interest. How many maple sugar farmers can there be? Who is going to enforce these laws? Aren't Republicans against big government? Apparently not in this case.
The country has much more serious issues to deal with.
Never underestimate the power of a politician from either party pandering when election time draws near....which is why government SHOULD be limited (but I certainly don't trust the Politico's to limit themselves)
So you are pro-fraud, anti-farmer and anti-consumer? Sound like Florida Governor Rick Scott, may he rest in peace...
Rick Scott RIP? I wish.
Leahy said, “We need to make sure that those who intentionally deceive consumers get a trip to jail, not a slap on the wrist”? Wouldn't that mean putting everyone in Congress in jail?
Why yes, yes it would.
#FirstWorldProblems
whitewhine.com for you.
Finally someone is getting this syrup fiasco under wraps. My pancakes have been in turmoil.
-
Who put these Morons in office? Anyone who thinks selling fake maple syrup is on the same level as mass Murder, Rape, and Pedophilia raise your stupid hands. C'mon Ryan raise your stupid ignorant hand! Anyone else??
Where did the article mention murder, rape, and pedophilia? You sound like one of those people who gets strangely angry at people who don't eat like you. How on Earth does an article about maple syrup bring to your sick mind pedophilia?
The article very clearly states that this law would make Fake Maple Syrup a Felony...which would put it close to the same level as the other crime mentioned.
Those are felonies you moron.
Felonies range from posession of cocaine to eating babies while stabbing the elderly while robbing banks. If you think a felony with a 3 month sentence and a $1000 fine is similar to one with life in prison, then go ahead and think that. I prefer my thoughts just a bit more precise.
Where did you get the idea that they were putting it on the same level as mass murder, rape, and pedophilia?! I found nothing in the article to even make me think that if I were drunk out of my mind. Wow, some people have truly wild imaginations!
For too long Mrs. Butterworth has thumbed her nose at us...mocked our laws...lived the good life while causing millions around her to suffer! She will be caught, she will be detained, and she will finally be brought to justice. We will not tire, we will not faulter, we will...not....fail!
This wouldn't be an issue if Mrs. Butterworth were a white woman.
If its real, sell the heck out of it honestly, but please do not rip me off as a consumer by advertising it is real when it is not. I think the crooks out there who do this concerning food products that I feed my children should be treated the same way like they do in China, execute them.
Nobody cares if you eat beef. Nobody cares if you don't want real maple syrup. But consumers deserve to get what they pay for.
... Are you f u k ing kidding me?
You are obviously somebody who is overweight with diabetes, and eats a bag of chips for lunch with a double bacon breakfast burrito, and you do not care about your health. Well, some of us and do not believe in protecting consumers from fraud, especially when it comes to food and nutrition. This is a serious issue and can set a precedence for other companies to follow and be careful what they advertise. Everything else in the World does not stop just because we have a problem with the economy and jobs.
I am so pleased and proud that the United States Senate has solved the problems of unemployment, bank fraud, underwater mortgages, and oil production (among a couple of dozen other things) and so can now turn its attention to the terrible and pressing problem of bogus maple syrup. If our schools actually worked, people could read the current labels and determine whether they got the real thing.
Phil, you don't think its a good use of the legislature to protect consumers who don't want to consume poisons from being tricked into doing so by criminals? If that's true, then you're the worst kind of American. Pro Crime-Syndicate Corporation, Anti-American Citizen. Please, move to Mogadishu.
My God they will make a federal case out of maple syrup but wont pass a jobs bill when people are losing their houses and can't make a dollar to buy a pancake. "Don't be faking no maple syrup"... omg that is so lame. Maybe the reason they are faking making maple syrup is because they can't find any other job to do. I DONT CARE ABOUT MAPLE SYRUP. I care about people working EVEN if its faking making maple syrup.
I live in Vermont. I make real Vermont maple syrup. With that being said, allow me to show your ignorance to the word Akaron. There are many working Vermonters that rely on the sale of their Syrup to supplement their farm income, which without the sales from Syrup, they would not be able to support themselves. So when big companies mass produce the fake syrup and label it as real and at a much lower cost, consumers will be fooled and go with the lower priced item. In return the farmer/maple producer will make less money. This is the same as somebody buying a fake Gucci handbag or a pair of fake Oakleys or Rolex.
So putting in end to the con artist companies would save jobs and allow those that rely on the sales to continue working.
well sorry, much like Gucci, Oakleys and Rolex real maple syrup is outrageously overpriced for what it is. People ACTIVELY search out the fake crap much like they will grab the Walmart brand 99 cent maple syrup jug.
really sad Mapleman, but you are the only one who makes real sense on this board. Everybody else is just drunk tonight, and spewing their hate on the World. I am not in food service, but I am very against fraud in food.
Everyone gonna be buying the lower priced one Mapleman either way. That is the point. It don't matter because I don't care about Gucci or Oakley or Rolex either. Without jobs for others maple man the only ones who will be able to afford YOUR Rolex brand maple syrup will be those who buy Gucci' handbags and Rolex watches. Its a "privaleged item" only the privilege can afford is THAT your arguement? Well repackage it and sell it to Wall St. because if its that big of a deal and THAT special take it there cause they are the ones who are going to be able to afford it if they don't do something WAY BIGGER than just maple farmers.
Amen brother! We will capture Mrs. Butterworth....to Gitmo with her!!!! You have no idea the pain and rage caused by my using fake maple syrup on my pancakes. And through my bitter tears each morning, I vow VENGEANCE!!!!
Akaron, I hate to break this to you, but the world does not operate in the absolutes you think it does. There are plenty of us who sacrifice other things so that we can eat real food, instead of the processed crap the rest of you eat to "save money" while healthcare costs skyrocket as a result. You can choose to live in a smaller house, drink less beer, go without cable, work harder, etc., so that you can eat real food instead of processed toxins, you just happen to choose not to. I would rather spend $16 on maple syrup than $4 on corn syrup with hydroxyfluorinobutylhexanol coloring.
I mostly agree with Mapleman. I too have made my own maple syrup and it is an enormous task. $30 a gallon for the stuff is NOT an outrageous price. In fact, I think that's low considering how much work is involved.
But I also agree with Akaron. There are still people out there who will end up actvely seeking out the cheap stuff, just like there are people like Mapleman and me for whom even the real stuff isn't good enough unless it's got our own blood sweat and tears in it.
But my quesiton is this: when our economy is a nightmare, unemployment is out of control, and even several state governments are close to bankruptcy, why are our elected officials wasting time with upgrading an already existing law about maple syrup? If it really is a problem, then why don't they hire a couple more cops (helping reduce unemployment), and make sure the existing laws are enforced. It's been proven over and over again the severity of the punishment does not prevent crime. Only certainty of getting caught prevents crime. So throw more cops at this, and make sure that you were almost guaranteed a misdemeanor every time you broke the law.
THAT would clear up this sticky situation.
Maple syrup – just another form of sugar. Causes diabetes.
First off, Leahy is not against the jobs bill. Talk to the Republicans if you have issues there; Leahy is a Democrat. Second, the senator is looking out for his constituents' interests: we're talking about working-class rural folks for the most part, who are making syrup and having to compete with big businesses selling phony stuff and marketing it as maple syrup, which drives down their prices and their income. Seems to me Leahy is looking out for the jobs and financial well-being of the people in his state, which is what these guys are supposed to be doing. So what's the problem?
Because this is what our country should really be concerned about.......
Why not?
Do you think people would be upset if Gerber was selling neurotoxins disguised as baby food? If so, then I don't know why you don't think this is important.
They do have to warn you if beef is genetically altered, cloned just doesn't make a difference. come on...
Don't eat beef. It's really not a big thing, my family and myself do not eat it. It's insanely expensive, when you count the subsidies they get the pricing would be outrageous. Pay more for wild salmon and good chicken and eat more vegetables and legumes. Beef is pretty gross and unhealthy.
Ryan, I'm assuming you're referring to factory-farmed beef, not pasture-raised, grass-fed,organic beef. Its not unhealthy in proper portions, (in fact, its high in Omega 3's, and a great source of protein), and I can't imagine why it would be considered gross by someone who eats chicken.
I would say that any maple syrup from Vermont or Maine is fake by definition; anyone who knows their beans and pancakes knows the real stuff comes from Canada.
Right, because maple trees only grow in Canada. Idiot.
I am from New Hampshire and have family all over Northern New England and I can tell you that Sugar Maples are in fact all over the area. The Canucks arn't the only producers of Maple Syrup
Much of maple syrup labeled "Vermont" that is sold in the US is actually a product of Canada. Just look at the fine print on the back.
Also – yes real maple syrup is much more expensive. It's also much sweeter and you need about 1/5 of it to get a similar flavor on your pancakes as the fake corn syrup stuff. So it events out. It's also better for you.
To every idiot in this thread all herp derp about lawmakers pushing bills about "maple syrup," shut your stupid mouths and read between the lines. This isn't about maple syrup, its about accuracy in labeling and supporting local economies. It's a step in the right direction towards getting GMO labels.
So we can have laws to say if maple syrup. but not if beef is cloned or genetically altered food???? come on...
I only see one side fighting for the GMO's etc, the republicans. I work in a grocery store, it's amazing how they brand their products to appear as maple syrup when it's not; if someone is selling real stuff the other guys package it to look exactly the same. The Mrs Butterworth's etc stuff sells fast, the real stuff doesn't. It's cheaper because the government subsidizes the corn industry and they can produce a "sugar" that they can sell below the cost of actual production, that's why "sugar" is in everything now.