The U.S. Department of Agriculture is revising the grading standards for maple syrup to match international standards so that consumers have a better understanding of what they are buying.
The revisions to the voluntary standards were released Wednesday.
The move is in response to a petition from the International Maple Syrup Institute, which represents maple producers in the U.S. and Canada. It said the different grading systems in different states made it confusing to consumers.
The revisions do away with Grade B classification and now include more descriptive color and flavor classes, allowing darker syrup to make the Grade A classification.
Grade A will now include four new color and flavor classes for maple syrup, ranging from golden color and delicate taste to very dark and strong taste.
Vermont was the first state to begin implementing the new grading system in 2014
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