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Vermonters are rightly proud of their signature export: rich, sweet, sticky, 100% maple syrup. Imitators have never quite been able to replicate it. But one purveyor of imitation syrup has a new product on the shelves that's creating an extra-sticky situation in the Green Mountains. (Full disclosure: I'm a Vermonter born and raised. That's right, this is personal.)
Called Log Cabin All Natural Syrup, the new product is indeed a kind of syrup, and it may technically be "all natural" -- there are no artificial ingredients or preservatives in the stuff. It's also in a new container -- one that just so happens to look exactly like the jugs Vermont farmers have used for decades. But that's where the resemblance ends.
Log Cabin All Natural Syrup is actually a blend of sugar, thickening agents such as xanthan gum, caramel color, and a little bit of actual maple flavor (we're talking 4 percent). Pure Vermont maple syrup, meanwhile, is exactly what its name suggests, with a sole ingredient: maple sap that's been boiled down to pancake-ready thickness.
A real Vermonter will never fall for Log Cabin's tomfoolery, but state officials are worried about all you flatlanders out there. The "syrup" blend is much, much cheaper than the real thing, after all -- and if you don't look closely, you might think you're buying something you're not. Vermont congressman Peter Welch explained the concerns to the FDA: "While most Vermonters have a discerning eye and palate for real maple syrup, the countless consumers outside of our state who have come to expect quality from natural Vermont products may be fooled by this misleading labeling."
Michelle Weese, a spokesperson for Pinnacle Foods, Log Cabin's parent company, told the Associated Press that the company believes their new product "complies with all FDA regulations." While this is a fairly weak endorsement, she may well be right, considering that the FDA doesn't actually define the word "natural."
So, speaking on behalf of my home state: Caveat emptor! If what you want is pure Vermont maple syrup (and trust me, that's what you want), make sure the stuff you're buying has those words on the label.
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9-10-2010 @3:20PM Martha said... Well, this flatlander will never buy the stuff. Xanthan gum, indeed! Also, my kids won't eat anything but the real thing.
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9-11-2010 @4:57PM sarahjth said... That IS what the Jug in my fridge says:) Bought it on my vacation to Vermont! Which by the way I highly recommend:D I live in Maine and I see plenty of Vermont license plates in my State, so I return the favor and vacation in their State! Vermont is so beautiful and makes you feel like "Alice in Wonderland" when we're driving through one of the low valley's with all the Mountains around you. There are so many places to see and things to do.. They have the maps with all the fun things located in the Visitor Centers:) It just so easy to get from one place to the other and absolutely beautiful scenery on the way that makes the drive all worth it!
9-10-2010 @4:02PM Real Maple Syrup Lover said... I think the jug looks too close to the brand of 100% pure maple syrup that I purchase regularly, and if I sent my husband to the store he would grab the wrong thing. Putting "natural" at the bottom is very misleading. I think they should be required to put on the container, contains only 4% maple syrup, just like fruit juice containers are required to state the percentage of real juice in their products on the front label. I cannot stand that fake stuff, I grew up in Illinois near a maple syrup farm and every year our school's 4th grade went there for a field trip! So even people who are not from Vermont have an appreciation for the real thing.
Another problem I have found is most restaurants in the rest of the country serve "maple syrup". But I have found that it is almost never real maple syrup. Maybe there should be truth in advertising there, as well.
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9-13-2010 @2:27AM Laura said... I agree with your comment about restaurants' "maple" syrup. Some restaurants take the time and ingredients to make really good pancakes and waffles--almost like homemade--and then they serve that garbage with them. It never ceases to amaze me. I usually end up putting preserves on my restaurant waffle instead of the fake syrup.
9-11-2010 @4:47PM Opihi said... I'm probably the only person in the world allergic to Maple Syrup ... and I grew up in Quebec where we had a lot of it.
But this is plain wrong. Just plain wrong. If not the label ... then the shape of the container. It's cheating, plain and simple. And Log Cabin, which I've used for years ... has lost this customer. There's no need to foist a scam on the public .. and there' no defense, even if it does squeak by the FDA regulations. Which are a load of crap as well. Think of what junk sneaks by the FDA!!!
I'm sick to death of "Natural" .... which means basically that there's no plastic particles in the product. I'm sick to death of "Organic" which means double prices for produce which is unattractive and not tastier by any means. And can be grown with natural fertilizers which may be treated manure. I'm tired of "Fresh" bagged greens full of fecal bacteria. Tired of wending my way through an endless commercial scam every time I go into a grocery store ...
9-10-2010 @4:59PM Betsy said... Well, brown rice and real sugar are a better substitute than high fructose corn syrup, which most syrups on the grocery store shelf contain. Frankly, I don't think most people care what's in their syrup. But once you've had the real thing, it's hard to eat the fake stuff ever again.
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9-10-2010 @5:12PM Aleese said... Betsy, I agree. I bought some of this hoping it would be healthier than the average generic syrup while being within our budget. It is just awful. I'd rather pay full price for REAL maple syrup and we go through a LOT of it each month.
9-10-2010 @9:35PM Trinity said... The real stuff does say "pure maple syrup" on the label, and this product doesn't. I think if it's important to people that they get the real thing, they know what to look for. And of course, the ingredients list tells the tale. :) But for those who buy the imitation, hooray for no more HFCS!
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9-10-2010 @9:54PM Poppy said... I am also born and raised in Vermont, transplanted to NYC late in life, and anything with this type of label wouldn't even get another glance from me. If it doesn't have a sugarhouse's name on it... it's not real to me. :)
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9-11-2010 @7:45AM gobo said... It doesn't say "maple syrup" anywhere on the front of the label, and most people read ingredients lists. One quick glance will tell you that this is made from brown rice. If someone's fooled by this, it's really their own fault.
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9-11-2010 @4:33PM Roger said... Wrong. MOST people do not NOT read ingredient labels. And the fact that it does not say Maple Syrup on the label is not relevant. Log Cabin has spent millions over the years marketing their Log Cabin (maple-flavored) syrup, so simply putting "Log Cabin" on the label implies (to the consumer) that it's maple syrup, albeit not a true maple syrup. Add to that the "All Natural" part o fthe label and it's perfectly reasonable for the consumer to assume that it is indeed REAL maple syrup, as opposed to Log Cabin's usual, sugary maple-"flavored" syrup.
9-11-2010 @5:20PM d said... If you're too lazy to read the label then you shouldn't complain when you get something you didn't expect.
9-11-2010 @7:03PM lw said... Who cares about the shape of the bottle? It clearly says Log Cabin Syrup, no "maple" is stated or implied. I do think the "Natural" part can fool people who aren't label readers, but how do those people even have enough money to buy syrup any more, after they've sent it all to the Nigerian prince who chose them to help him claim his fortune?
9-11-2010 @8:04PM gobo said... Roger, you can disagree with me if you want to, but there's no need to try and pick a fight about it. Personally, I give people a little more credit than you do, and know that people commonly read ingredients labels. But I'm not being a jerk about it.
9-11-2010 @2:31PM Tooki said... I guess I'm weird I don't like real maple syrup! Give my Log Cabin any old time
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9-11-2010 @2:42PM lita said... Real maple syrup is like Robin Williams, Jim Carey, and Tracy Morgan: A little goes a long way.
Years ago, I bought "the real stuff" one day when the local chain was having a sale. We haven't gone back to the other. The truth is, you actually do use less of the pricier stuff, and although I've never calculated the financial savings, I do know it means fewer calories consumed.
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9-11-2010 @3:05PM Mindy said... I agree Lita! You do use less of the real thing, and I'm sure it's better for you than the maple wannabe stuff. Kind of like comparing wisconsin cheese to velveeta!
9-11-2010 @3:06PM KellyinCali said... The bottom line is that if you use REAL maple syrup, you know the difference and you won't buy artificial no matter how "natural" it may be. It doesn't taste the same. Even a California girl raised on Mrs. Butterworths by a CANADIAN no less, knows that. You'll be pleased to know, my Cali kids know the difference, also, and have always refused imitations.
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9-11-2010 @3:31PM tom said... I put syrup on my pizza and pizza sauce on my pancakes. LOL!!!
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9-11-2010 @3:18PM Jane said... Why don't people buy the real thing instead of that crap with all the other ingredients?
We buy pure maple syrup from a county park close to our home in Indiana.
They tap their trees and process the sap there and sell it.
Nothing compares to pure maple syrup.
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