Maple syrup is without a doubt one of the best and most traditional sweeteners that is easily available today. Supermarkets, buying clubs and healthfood stores alike typically stock a wide variety of brands with consumers increasingly favoring its simple, whole sweetness over genetically modified (GMO) corn syrup or sugar derived synthetic syrups that can cause an acne breakout or a nasty canker sore nearly as fast as you can finish a stack of pancakes at the local diner.
Maple syrup has consistently played an integral part of the economies of North America. Native Americans originally taught the early European settlers how to tap maple trees and boil down the sap to make this sweetener which comes in a variety of hues, with the darker versions the richest tasting and most mineral loaded.
Since maple syrup is a completely natural product that is derived from trees that are decades old in most cases and rarely if ever sprayed, I’ve always assumed that conventional maple syrup is basically the same as organic. Why pay more for maple syrup that has the organic label which is an expensive certification for producers to procure?
I know many consumers who have made the same mistake.
This is far from the bitter truth.
Maple syrup whether grade A or grade B is a highly concentrated sweetener. It takes 10 gallons of maple tree sap water to make one small quart of maple syrup! As a result, any additives or contaminants used in the maple sap extraction process would end up being concentrated in the maple syrup as well.
As it turns out, conventional maple syrup production differs considerably from the practices of organic maple syrup producers. These differences can affect not only the health of the maple trees themselves, but the health of the end consumer as well.
Maple Tree and Sugarbush Impacts
The term “sugar bush” refers to a forest of sugar and/or black maples which is utilized for maple syrup production.
The equipment and processes used to extract the sap, similar to birch water in Slavic countries, has the potential to greatly affect the health not only of the tree but also the sugar bush as a whole. This is why organic producers are required to follow sustainable methods that won’t harm the overall environment in which the maple trees grow.
Specifically, the tubing used to carry sap to the sugarhouse, where the sap is boiled down, cannot damage the trees in any way. This means that nailing any sort of hardware into the tree trunk cannot be used. In addition, the typical conventional practice of using toxic paint to mark trees cannot be used.
The practice of tapping the maple trees to extract the sap can vary widely between conventional and organic producers too. Organic regulations protect tree health by forbidding the practice of overtapping which stresses the tree with too many taps or ones that are overly large in diameter.
Small taps that are .31 inches/.79 cm in diameter are required for organic maple syrup production. In contrast, state regulations may permit conventional producers to use taps with a diameter over 40% larger (.44 inches/1.11 cm). This allowance is likely to cause more damage to trees with the holes healing at a significantly slower rate.
Synthetic Pesticides and Chemicals Fertilizers
While the trees within a sugar bush are rarely sprayed, herbicides like Roundup which contain gut destroying glyphosate and synthetic pesticides may be used to control unwanted vegetation. Glyphosate has been identified by the World Health Organization as a likely human carcinogen (1). It is widely used in conventional agriculture and is linked to development of autoimmune disorders both mild and severe. It has been shown to negatively affect the health and functioning of beneficial bacterial colonies in the gut.
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that if glyphosate containing herbicides are used in a conventional sugar bush, that residues will be found in the maple syrup produced from that forest. For me, that is reason enough to never use conventional maple syrup again if I can possibly help it. Unless of course, the only other option is fake syrups made with GMO corn syrup or GMO sugar which would be far worse!
In addition to pesticides and herbicides, chemical fertilizers may be used to hasten tree growth. Chemical fertilizers only replenish nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus, which over time depletes other nutrients and minerals that are found in truly fertile, nutrient rich soils.
Cleanliness of the Sugarhouse
Organic maple syrup standards require sugarhouse cleanliness to be maintained in a nontoxic manner. All equipment must be thoroughly cleaned every day during maple syrup season using only certain cleaning chemicals that are deemed nontoxic with the required rinsing process extremely thorough. Machinery and equipment covered by these standards include the reverse osmosis unit, the filter press, sap and syrup holding tanks and evaporator pans.
Conventional sugarhouse cleaning would likely involve toxic cleaners and bleach that many of us would never consider using in our own homes.
Sap Boiling Process
Conventional maple syrup production allows synthetic defoaming agents and emulsifiers to be used during the boiling down of the sap. This includes dangerous food additives such as monoglycerides and diglycerides both of which are synthetically derived factory fats usually of genetically modified origin. They also are nearly guaranteed to contain transfats!
Another additive used is polyethylene glycol (PEG). It is made from ethylene glycol, the main ingredient in antifreeze. Depending on manufacturing process used, PEGs may be contaminated with measurable amounts of ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies ethylene oxide as a known human carcinogen and 1,4-dioxane as a possible human carcinogen. Ethylene oxide can also harm the nervous system, and evidence has shown that it may interfere with human development.
Medicinally, PEG is a common ingredient in many laxatives including the chemicals used to clean out the bowel before a colonoscopy. Industrially, PEG is used to keep commercial ice cream from getting too hard and to increase the overall shelf life and stability of foodstuffs among many other uses. Some people who tend toward constipation may wonder why they seem to go to the bathroom so much more easily after eating a big bowl of commercial ice cream. Now you know why.
On the very positive flip side, organic maple syrup producers forgo PEGs completely and use only quality fats as the emulsifiers. This would include certified organic vegetable oils or better still – organic butter.
Lead in Maple Syrup a Cause for Concern
Believe it or not, lead is a big concern with conventional maple syrup production. The lead contamination comes from the old galvanized containers that are used to collect sap and/or the galvanized tanks used to store it. Galvanized pipes in residential homes have been identified as a source of lead in drinking water (2). The same concern extends to galvanized equipment sometimes used in conventional maple syrup production which would, according to the Cornucopia Institute, leach a “significant amount of lead into the sap” (3).
Organic maple syrup production requires the use of stainless steel or food grade plastic. If galvanized drums are used to pack the finished syrup, it must be coated with a resin that will prevent any leeching of lead. The coating is regularly inspected for flaking and if any is detected, the holding drum is discarded.
Which Maple Syrup Do You Choose to Buy?
In conclusion, unless you know a conventional maple syrup farmer personally and can be assured that the abusive agricultural practices described above are not being utilized, it is best to stick with organic maple syrup! This is the brand I typically buy at the healthfood store which frequently has $2 off coupons on the quart size bottles. If there isn’t a coupon available, I will buy this brand or a similar one because I prefer the glass bottle.
Any organic brand should do just fine though!
Note that you really don’t need to refrigerate good quality maple syrup after opening the container as long as you store it in a cool cellar. If you live in a humid, frequently hot environment like I do, however, it is best to keep it cold in the refrigerator. Mold can sometimes form inside the bottle under those conditions.
Source
The Sweet Truth about Maple Syrup
More Information
Yacon: Healthy Syrup or Healthfood Fad?
Beware of Grade B Trickery
Thank you for this article….helpful and thoughtful information here.
Very interesting article about Maple Syrup – as a result of an oddity with Costco maple syrup I’m now going to only buy the organic. I used some of their maple syrup to make the sauce for General Tso’s chicken, and had this wierd oily layer appear on top that solidified when I separated it out. I’ve since made the sauce again with sugar rather than syrup, and didn’t get the oily layer – so I assume the oily layer was associated with the maple syrup. I then started researching ‘dodgy Maple Syrup’ and varying terms of this type and ended up here. I don’t have an answer for what was up with my Kirkland branded syrup, but I think I’ll use Waitrose for the organic stuff from here on in.
Also, the to-and-fro about non-organic practices reminds me of a similar spat about cattle farming practices in the UK: “Good” farmers, or trade organisations, will always defend their practices vigorously – but there is a tendency forget that there are also “bad” farmers out there also and while the “good” ones verge on the organic, the “bad” ones are often the very large producers whose products weigh down the supermarket shelves. A little simplification, but relevant I think, to the posts above. Which is why I side with Sarah – organic certification is a safety net, but if you know the producer then you can make your own judgement. If its just “on the shelf” then the consumers’ only protection is government legislation – and, at least in the UK, those supervising such legislation tend to be visible only when things go wrong.
I thought the whole thing was very balanced until the last few posts.
I am from VT and these practices are virtually unheard of! People honor the maple trees and have been protecting them for hundreds of years. In many situations I will always champion organic (despite the corporate influenced, water-downed certification standards) but you really should be buying from certain regions, VT, Cananda, NH. There have been many comments from those of us who value organic and who live in these regions and we are sharing our view with you. It would be good to truly fact check and talk to farmers directly this to clear discrepancies. Thanks!
Same goes for us in NW Pennsylvania! PA syrup is with the best. No one here sprays roundup or damages forests. It’s a beautiful process. However, lead soldering and chemicals added before evaporation are a real concern. But how much “organic” food is tainted and we never know it?? All I know is, it never tastes as good as what we make at home!
I have wondered how to trees produce delicious maple syrup. My wife is something of a connoisseur about it (she loves breakfast) so I’m always looking out for great syrup. It’s interesting that Native Americans have been tapping trees for so long; I wonder who first thought about doing it? Anyway, thanks for the clear information here. I’ll have to keep in mind some of the GMO/local considerations you mentioned.
We are maple producers in MI. a lot of people are going LOCAL and not organic. Know where your food comes from not just that it is organic. We are not organically certified. It is way to experience and the requirements still allow people to use pesticides of some form. I encourage people to visit the farms where their food is coming from and ask questions of the farmers, follow them around for the day, helping them, you will be amazed as to what the do to produce quality food for families. We love our LOCAL foods!!
Yes .. that’s awesome because then you can check the producers out first hand! Unfortunately, most of us around the world live in areas where there isn’t any maple syrup production and so buying local isn’t an option. In that case, organic would be best as you don’t know what sort of abusive practices a conventional maple syrup producer might … even perhaps inadvertently … following.
Good grief, what a heated topic! I buy organic grade b maple syrup too because I don’t live in an area that produces maple syrup. So, just in case!
My comment is about galvanization. Galvanization uses zinc to galvanize with, not lead.
It’s my understanding that galvanized containers may also contain lead.
Lead is often used as an additive to the zinc to make the zinc more fluid and aid in the galvanization process.
Hi Sarah, love your blog. I live in CT and part of my job is working with maple syrup producers to improve efficiency and promote conservation practices in their sugarbush. Honestly I have never seen any of the questionable practices or materials used on any operation. They are all small scale producers, maybe that’s the difference. One of my customers did advise me to stay away from Amish syrup because they often use old metal pails and milk jugs that contain lead.
So glad to have found this article. Being a Vermonter, maple syrup has always been my favorite sweetener. It is always good to be informed, and to remember how sweet it is!
I was blessed to have a friend notice his maple tree was dripping sap after the electric company trimmed his trees last winter. He went out and collected the sap and then boiled it down. He only had enough for one breakfast of pancakes but he told our family about how good it was. Since he is a logger and knows his trees well, he pointed out many maples on our property. Off set my children to research how to make maple syrup. Because we got a late start last year, we only made enough for our family for the year. This year were ahead of the game and started right when the time was right. The weather cooperated nicely this year for a good flow. My 15 year old daughter took it very seriously and ended up making 7 gallons of wonderful, homemade maple syrup. She ended up selling some of what we didn’t need. It was quite a project and we all enjoyed it. The most fun we had though was telling our Amish friends that we were making maple syrup. They commented that they didn’t know we could make it here (we live in TN). It’s really fun to have one up on something the Amish do.
We buy ours at a local place, we are lucky enough to live only a few miles away. We can actually go there and watch them boil it down and tour the area where they collect sap.
That is so wonderful! I wish I could do that too.