Vermont is famous for its maple syrup and the state takes its quality very seriously. The University of Vermont has opened a first-of-its-kind maple syrup testing lab. In a conversation with WAMC North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley, Extension Maple Program Director and Maple Specialist Mark Isselhardt explains that a grant from the Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships will establish the new lab and related educational outreach.
I was able to apply for and was awarded a grant of about $200,000 to buy equipment and hire some new personnel to run testing of pure maple syrup and determine whether or not each sample meets Grade A standards or not.
Mark, it seems like we've talked in the past and that maple has been tested in some way or another. What's different about this quality testing lab?
We've done several years of research at UVM extension, myself and colleagues, and we've purchased syrup in the marketplace and we've tested it and combined that information, that data with anecdotal data, data from the Agency of Agriculture, who does retail inspection of syrup. And we know that not every bit of syrup that reaches the consumer is meeting Grade A standards. So we wanted to find a way to offer testing that was impartial, so third party testing, and at a level of expertise where people could be confident in the results. And so we are offering this, primarily at the start it's going to be for Vermont producers, but we'll open it up to folks outside Vermont after the initial phase. And really at its most basic, it's do these samples meet the basics in four quality attributes. Those attributes are color, clarity, density and flavor. The lab is going to be able to use precise lab equipment to assess those attributes and then producers will get a report for each sample,
Mark, the Grade A status for maple syrup. Why is achieving Grade A so important for not only producers, but for Vermont?
Sure. Well, Grade A syrup is the only grade of syrup that can be marketed directly to consumers. So anything you see on the shelf sold to consumers has to meet Grade A standards. About 12 years ago there was a revisiting of the grade standards. There was a time when you could buy Grade B syrup as well as Grade A syrup. The International maple industry, so Canada and the US all the states and provinces, got together and they agreed that this was confusing to people who didn't really know anything about maple. When you have a Grade A, Grade B, Grade C system it sort of implies that there's a difference in quality. So the industry came together and came up with a new set of standards and the result was syrup that was marketed to consumers had to meet just one standard, Grade A, and if it failed to meet that standard then it couldn't be sold to a consumer but it could be sold as an ingredient for another product. And so what we're testing in the lab is whether or not that syrup can be marketed as Grade A or if it has to be sold as what's called processing grade.
What's the technology that you're using? Is this something where it's like a lab with beakers and things like that. Or how exactly does this work?
I mean, it does have a little sciencey look to it for sure. We're using, for instance, we're using to measure color we're using something called a spectrophotometer, which is essentially a light source and then a sensor. In this case, we're looking at how much light passes through at a certain wavelength and that will give us a measure of a color. Sugar makers don't have spectrophotometers, but they are familiar with color. There are some very simple instruments that are similar that people have become accustomed to using. What we're talking about is using just more precise instruments and more accurate instruments.
Mark, the release that came out announcing this new laboratory indicates that producers can submit up to four samples at no cost during this initial phase of the project. So what exactly is the initial phase and where do you go in the future with this project?
Sure. So the first phase is going to last through 2025 and then at the end of the year we will assess how much demand and what sort of feedback we getting and we'll come up with a reasonable fee to charge to folks beyond Vermont and producers in Vermont who want to send more samples. It really is the first place in the country where producers can send samples and get this type of testing done.
The grant that you received is from the Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships. So I take it there's no need to worry about all of these potential grant recissions that are going on in the country, that it would affect this project at all?
Correct. Yep, that money is already spoken for. We're lucky enough to receive it from the Leahy Institute and we are partnering with the Vermont Maple Sugarmakers’ Association as sort of our lead partner on this. So their membership organization of Vermont maple producers, and they're helping us spread the word and helping us with making sure that folks are aware this exists. And the nice thing about maple too is that there really isn't a barrier to enter. I mean, if you decide you want to get into Maple, you can throw a few taps in the tree or more. And everyone has a role to play in preserving the quality. And so I'll just give you one example from this summer. One of the things I do is help maple contest judging. And I was there and we'd finished the judging, and the entries were all up on the wall and this family came in. They were really excited because they got a ribbon. And I talked to them and they said, Yeah, you know, we have entered this contest, we're new sugar makers, we've entered it now three years in a row. We got rejected for two years and this is our third year and we didn't get rejected. And they were, they were really excited because they were making adjustments and they were taking the feedback and they were seeing it pay off. And I asked them about their operation. They said we have seven taps and they call their operation The Magnificent Seven. And on the wall with all the other contests, they were right next to a really large producer that has 75,000 taps. And they both met the standard. And I think that's a great illustration of the fact that anyone can make maple syrup and if you're selling it to a consumer, or even if you're not, just want to make the best quality product possible, the scale of your operation doesn't really matter. It's whether or not you're able to accurately grade the syrup is what really matters.
The testing lab is housed at the University of Vermont’s Proctor Maple Research Center in Underhill and has studied maple and maple production for more than 75 years.
