NEW STANDARDIZED GRADING SYSTEM FOR MAPLE SYRUP

By Stephanie Cain

Shopping for maple syrup may get a bit easier—and clearer—for consumers and buyers alike. The International Maple Syrup Institute recently submitted a proposal to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to standardize maple syrup grading.

Currently, grading is determined at the state level, and varies in terms of coloring and percent of light transmittance of the syrup.

The proposal would create a standard definition for what constitutes maple syrup and clarify the unique characteristics of pure maple syrup—including grade, taste intensity, and color—in the U.S. and Canada. By unifying this information on a label, IMSI strives to help consumers shop for various types of maple syrups and market the product to a worldwide audience.

“This should help ensure consumers that the maple syrup sold in retail markets is of the highest quality possible and is graded and classified with these new maple regulations,” explained Dave Chapeskie, executive director of IMSI.

In 2013, the U.S. produced 3.25 million gallons of maple syrup, primarly from Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Maine, and Ohio. Yet the nomenclature and grading works differently in every state. Further, Canadian varieties vary further despite being a short distance from many U.S. farms.

“For us, having one set of standards is really beneficial,” says Mary Jeanne Packer of Mapleland Farms in upstate New York. “We’re only five miles from Vermont and it’s a completely different set of standards.”

Producers say this creates confusion for the consumer, who already has little understanding of how grading and coloring relates to the quality of the syrup. Packer notes that, with the current system, customers want to have the best but don’t know how to determine that. “Most consumers think the lighter is better,” she explains. “But they are often disappointed because it doesn’t have as much flavor as the darker syrups with stronger flavors. More people are actually looking for that robust flavor and this [proposed] naming system makes that clearer.”

She, like many, hopes the proposal will ease the frustrating customer experience and increase maple syrup sales overall. Downsides of the new system are few for both the consumer and the producer. In fact, the ISMI proposal is actually a producer-led initiative, launched by a committee consisting of maple farmers as well as government advisors from Canada and the U.S. Relabeling pains are addressed in the proposal with built-in components that make the transition as seamless and cost-efficient as possible for small farms, such as a year-long grace period to change the labels on products on existing grocery store shelves.

The maple syrup industry is a small one, and Chapeskie emphasizes the need for a united front. While there’s not an overwhelming opposition for the proposal by the industry, some detractors have formed their own coalitions. In a Wall Street Journal article earlier this year, a group of Vermont producers expressed fears that the standardized grading will detract from the allure of their Vermont amber brand.

Still, proponents remain confident it’s in the best interest of the industry overall. Chapeskie mentioned that IMSI has considered a wealth of consumer research and brainstormed ways to promote maple syrup on a global scale, including as a healthier, natural alternative to sweeteners. “We looked at a variety of marketing strategies,” he says. “And this is just one plank in the platform to move forward, together, as a united industry.”