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# United States Standards

For Grades of Maple

Syrup

Effective DRAFTThis is the Th ird issue, as amended, of the United States Standards for Grades of Maple

Syrup published in the FEDERAL REGISTER of XXX to become effective XXX

. This issue

supersedes the second issue, which has been in effect since January 14, 1980.

Voluntary U.S. grade standards are issued under the authority of the Agricultural Marketing

Act of 1946, which provides for the development of official U.S. grades to designat e

different levels of q uality. These grade standards are available for use by producers,

sup pliers, buyers, and consumers. As in the case of other standards for grades of fresh

and processed fruits and vegetables, these standards are designed to facilitate orderly

marketing by providing a convenient basis for buying and selling, for establishing quality

control programs, and f or determining loan values.

The U.S. grade standards, grading manuals, handbooks or instructions for inspection of

several fresh and processed fruits and vegetables are available on the internet and upon

request at the address below. These manuals o r in structions contain detailed

interpretations of the grade standards and provide step

- by

- step procedures for grading the

product.

Grade standards are issued by the Department after careful consideration of all data and

views submitted, and the Department w elcomes suggestions which might aid in improving

the standards in future revisions. Comments may be submitted to, and copies of

standards and grading manuals obtained from:

Director, Specialty Crops Inspection Division

Fruit and Vegetable Program, AMS, U.S. Department of Agriculture

1400 Independence Avenue, SW, STOP 0240

Washington, D.C. 20250

Phone: (202) 720

- 5870 Fax: (202) 720

- 0393

_______________________________________________________________________ Authority : 7 U.S.C. 1621

- 1627.

Note : Compliance with the provisions of these standards shall not excuse failure to

comply with the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or

with applicable State laws and regulations.

Non

- Discrimination Policy: The U.S. Department of Agricultu re (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and

applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, repr isal, and where

applicable, political beliefs, marital sta tus, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual's income is derived

from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded

by the Department . (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.) To File an Employment

Complaint: If you wish to file an employment complaint, you must contact your agency's EEO Counselor (PDF) within 45 days of the

date of the alleged discriminatory act, event, or in the case of a personnel action. Additional information can be found online at

http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_file.html

. To File a Program Complaint: If you wish to file a Civil Rights progr am complaint

of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (PDF), found online at

http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html , or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632

- 9992 to request the form. You may also

write a letter con taining all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S.

Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250

- 9410, by fax

(202) 690

- 7442 or email at program.intake@usda.gov

. Persons with Disabilities: Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have

speech disabilities and you wish to file either an EEO or program complaint please co ntact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at

(800) 877

- 8339 or (800) 845

- 6136 (in Spanish). Persons with disabilities who wish to file a program complaint, please see information

above on how to contact us by mail directly or by email. If you require a lternative means of communication for program information (e.g.,

braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) please contact usda's target center at (202) 720

- 2600 (voice and tdd).United States Standards for G rades of Maple Syrup (DRAFT)

Section Page No.

§52.5961 Product description.

................................ ................................ ................. 2

§52.5962 Grades

. ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 2

§52.5963 Recommended fill of container.

................................ ............................... 3

§52.5964 Color..............

. ................................ ................................ ....................... 3

§52.5965 Classification of requirements

. ................................ ................................ . 3

§52.5966 Explanation of terms

. ................................ ................................ ............... 4

§52.5967 Determining the grade of the lot

. ................................ .............................. 5

United States Standards for Grades of Maple Syrup (DRAFT)

1§ 52

. 5961 P rodu c t d esc rip t ion.

Mapl e s y ru p is t h e li qu id foo d der i ve d b y c oncen t ra tin g an d hea t t rea t ing s a p fro m th e

map le tre e (Acer) as def i ne d in t h e U

. S

. F oo d an d Dru g Adm i ni s tra ti o n (F D A ) S t andard s

o f I dent i t y fo r Map le S i ru p (2 1 C F R 168

. 140 ) i ss ue d unde r t h e F edera l F ood

, Drug

, an d

Cosmeti c A ct. The solids c ontent of the finished maple syrup shall not be less 66

p ercent by weigh t (Brix)

.

§52

. 596 2 Gr a d es.

(a ) U. S

. Gr ad e A is t h e qua l it y o f map le sy ru p t ha t:

(1) N ot more than 68.9 percent solids content by weight (Brix) ;

(2) H a s goo d un i for m c o l or ;

( 3 ) Has good flavor and odor, and intensity of flavor ( maple taste)

normally associated with the color class ;

( 4 ) Is free from off flavor s and odors considered as damage;

( 5 ) Is free from cloudiness, turbidity

, sediment, and is cl ean;

(6) No deviants for damage shall be allowed in Grade A.

(b) M aple syrup for processing (Processing Grade) means maple syrup

that is not permitted to be sold in any retail market. Any maple syrup that

does not meet Grade A requirements , but meets the requirement of

Processing Grade may be used in the manufacturing of other products,

and must be packed in containers of 5

- gallon s or 20

- liter s or larger.

Processing Grade maple syrup cannot be packaged in consumer

- size

containers for retail sales.

(1) May be any color class and any light transmittance ; and not more

tha n 68.9 percent solids content by weight (Brix);

(2) Ma y c on t a in of f f l avor s ; and odors ;

(3) May have a very strong taste

.

(c ) Substandar d i s th e qualit y o f mapl e sy ru p tha t fai ls to mee t the

requirements of Processing Grade maple syrup

.

United States Standards for Grades of Maple Syrup (DRAFT)

2§52

. 596 3 Recommended Fill of Container.

T h e amount that a container is filled is no t a requirement since the fill of a container is

not a quality factor. It is, however, recommende d t ha t ea ch c on t a i ne r b e f ill e d with

s y ru p a s fu ll a s pra ct i c ab le an d t ha t t h e produ ct o cc up y at least 9 0 percent o f t h e

vo l um e o f t h e c on t a i ner

.

§52

. 596 4 Color.

General. The color class of maple syrup is determined by :

(a ) The percent of light transmission through the syrup as measured with a

spectrophotometer using matched square optical cells having a 10mm

light path at a wavelength of 560 nm

. The color value is expressed as

percent of light transmission as compared to analytical reagent glycerol

fixed at 100 percent. Percent tran smission is symbolized by “%Tc

. ”

( b ) Any method that provide s equivalent results

.

When certifying the color of a sample that has been officially drawn and which

represents a specific lot of maple syrup, if the number of color deviants exceeds the

acceptance number in the appropriate sampling plan, the lot should be designated as

mixed color.

§52

. 596 5 Cl ass i f i cat ion R e quir e m e n ts.

(a) " Grade A " c l ass i f i cat i o n.

(1) Possesses a good maple flavor (taste) characteristic of the color ;

(2) Is clean

, free from turbidity or cloudiness, and free from off flavors

and odors;

( 3 ) Has g oo d uniform colo r , which means the s y ru p c o l o r is brigh t

an d t y pi c a l o f map le sy ru p

.

United States Standards for Grades of Maple Syrup (DRAFT)

3“ Grade A ” Maple syrup has four color and flavor c lasses

Co l o r cl a ss e s ar e a ss o ci ate d w ith specific %Tc va l ue s a s follows :

Grade A

Color Classes Taste Light Transmittance

(% Tc)

U.S. Grade A Golden Delicate > 75

. 0

U.S. Grade A Amber Rich 50.0

- 74.9

U.S. Grade A Dark Robust 25

. 0

- 49.9

U.S. Grade A Very Dark Strong < 25

. 0

(b) “ Processing Grade ” classification

. Fails to meet the requirements of

Grade A , but possesses a fairly good characteristic maple taste and may

contain off

- flavors

, but is fairly free of damage

, fairly free of turbidity or

cloudiness, and is fairly clean

.

(c) Substandard classification

. Maple syrup that fails to meet the

requirements of paragraph (b) of this section shall not be graded above

Substandard.

§52

. 596 6 Ex pl a n ati on of T e r ms.

(a) Brix is the percentage by weight concentration of total soluble solids

(mainly sugar)

, of maple syrup when tested with a refractometer

calibrated at 68 degrees Fahrenheit and to which any applicable

temperature correction has been made; or by any other method which

gives equivalent results.

(b) Buddy flavor or buddiness ( classified as damage)

, is a disagreeable

flavor characteristic of syrup when sap is collected from maple trees as

they come out of dormancy

. This flavor can be described as tasting

chocolaty to bitter chocolaty.

(c) Clean means that the syrup is free from foreign material such as

pieces of bark, soot, dust, or dirt.

(d) Damage means any defects that materially affect the appearance,

edibility, or quality of the syrup

. Badly scorched syrup, b uddy syrup,

fermented syrup, or syrup that has any off flavor s or odor s shall be

c onsidered as damage.

(e) Fermentation (classified as damage), means the chemical breakdown of

a substance by bacteria, yeasts, molds, or other microorganisms.

United States Standards for Grades of Maple Syrup (DRAFT)

4(f) Light Transmittance (Tc) means the ability of a liquid to transmit light as

determined optically by means of a spectro photo meter

.

(g) Off

- flavor or off

- odor ( classified as damage)

, means any specific and

identifiable or unidentifiable flavor or odor defec t that is not normally found

in Grade A maple s y rup. These flavors or odors may be related to natural

factors (e.g., woody or buddy), to manufacturing practices (e.g., burnt,

chemical, fermented, scorched ), or caused by the presence of any

disagreeable flavor or odor that may have develop e d during handling or

storage.

(h ) Taste means the intensity of maple flavor. The descriptors for the taste

of Grade A Maple Syrup are as follows:

(1) Delicate means mild maple taste.

(2) Rich means a full

- bodied maple taste of medium intensity

.

(3) Robust means stronger maple taste than the lighter colors.

(4) Strong means a maple taste that is stronger than robust.

(i) Turbidity or c loudiness means the presence, in the suspension, of fine

particles of mineral matter such as malate of lime, niter, sugar sand,

calcium malate, or other substance that detract from the clearness of

the syrup.

(1) Malate of lime means fine particles of mineral matter in maple

s y rup.

(2) Sugar sand or niter generally means a harmless gritty substance

naturally found in maple s y rup, and is often referred to as

cloudiness.

(3) Calcium malate results from high calcium and malic acid

concentrations in the syrup and is one of the least soluble salts in

the syrup.

United States Standards for Grades of Maple Syrup (DRAFT)

5§52

. 596 7 D ete rmi n ing t he Gr a de of a L ot.

Th e grad e o f a l o t o f map le s y ru p c overe d b y the se st andard s is de t erm i ne d by t h e

procedure s in t h e R e gul at ions Go ve rning In s p ect ion a nd C e r t i ficat ion of Pr o cesse d

Frui t s a nd Ve g eta bl es, P ro cesse d P rodu ct s Th e r e o f

, a nd C e r ta in P ro cesse d F o o d

P ro d u ct s ( 7 CFR 52 .1 t hroug h 52

. 83)

.

United States Standards for Grades of Maple Syrup (DRAFT)

6