Truth in labeling needed for maple syrup

Do you know what you are putting on your pancakes?

Under current law in Wisconsin, consumers can hope that what the restaurant claims is maple syrup actually is, but chances are it is not.

Wisconsin currently does not have a truth in labeling law requiring restaurants who advertise maple syrup on their menu to actually serve real maple syrup with the meal.

State Senator Kelda Roys of Madison and Rep. Tara Johnson of the LaCrosse area, want to change that with legislation stating that a public eating place may not serve a food product identified as “maple syrup” unless the product is made entirely of maple syrup, as the term is defined in federal regulations.

“The WMSPA supports the Truth In Maple Syrup Bill reintroduced to legislation,” says Executive Director and producer Theresa Baroun in the March 23 Midwest Farm Report.

Thousands of maple syrup producers are busy collecting and processing maple syrup this time of year. Wisconsin ranks fourth in the country producing around 300,000 gallons of syrup each year with an estimated value of about $9 million. The importance of maple syrup has only grown in recent years as consumers have become more health conscious and have sought maple syrup for its all-natural goodness.

“There are no additives in real maple syrup. When a consumer goes to a restaurant and sees the words ‘maple syrup’ on the menu, it should be real maple syrup,” Baroun says. “The maple syrup industry works hard to make maple syrup and promote the nutritional value of maple syrup. It isn’t right for a consumer to be getting a substitute when it is called ‘maple syrup.’” The proposed legislation would ensure what they are being told is maple syrup actually came from a tree, rather than being the product of the marriage between an Iowa cornfield and a petrochemical plant.

For generations, Wisconsin food service laws have required that real butter be served on restaurant tables. It is time to hold pancake chains to that standard and ensure that the syrup patrons are pouring over their pancakes is as real as the farmers who harvest it from Wisconsin woodlots and forests.

After all, if a restaurant’s menu says it is serving Alaskan king crab legs, but when the plate came out of the kitchen it only had imitation crab meat, you would be pretty irate and would have grounds to complain. Real Wisconsin Maple syrup is the king crab legs of breakfast toppings and Wisconsin consumers shouldn’t have to worry about a back room bait and switch with a lowerquality substitute when they expect the real thing.

Call on your state legislator to support truth in labeling to ensure that consumers are getting what they are paying for.