The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1937-03-04
LEAD IN MAPLE SUGAR
AND SYRUP is HARMFUL
Garrett County Syrup Above
Requirements of Health
Department

Department
In 1886 the United States Food and
Urug Administration notified State
Departments that it's investigations
had shown some lots of maple sugar
and syrup carried lead in substantial
traces such as to constitute adultera.
ton within the meaning of the law
This information was given to the
County Agent and Health officer in the
county where maple products are
manufactured in Maryland.
The administration issued a ruling
to the effect that beginning January
1, 1887, maple products found to con-
tain lead will be deemed to be adulter.
ated which will mean that their sale
within or without the state will not be
permitted.
Such tests as have been made have
shown the maple syrup and sugar
manufactured in Maryland to be with.
in the tolerance allowed. However, ii
is well for the industry to be prepared
to prevent any contamination of maple
products with lead. Likewise, the con-
sumner should not be unduly alarmed
as it is not felt that in any cases any
gross degree of contamination would
likely be found.
1t might be we'll to explain how lead
gets into maple products. Investiga.
tons have shown that contamination
with lead occurs in the following ways
1. The use of lead paint in painting
sap buckets or other utensils.
2. The use of "terne plate" fol
manufacture of sap buckets, spouts
evaporators and pipe lines. That such
terne plate is wholly unsuited as ma.
terial for food containers is evident
from the fact that it consists of iror
coated with a mixture of tin and leac
in about equal parts. Investigations
have shown that elsewhere terne plate
has been rather commonly used fol
this purpose and has been chiefly res
ponsible for lead contaminations found
8. Lead may also enter from the use
Of utensils or containers which have
been manufactured or repaired with
inside soldering.
How To Prevent Lead
Obviously, all containers and uten.
sis constructed as above should bt
ultimately discarded. Meanwhile, as
it may be impracticable to require this
at once, consideration has been giver
to the following expedient procedures
developed as result of recent exten.
sive research by chemists:
i. Do not use white lead or leac
paint as coating for any containers
or utensils. Ordinary zinc paints al
SO should be avoided, as these may
carry not only some lead but small
quantities of arsenic or similar objec'
tionable impurities. The form which
is best adapted is grade Of alumni.
mum paint known to be reasonably
free from such impurities.
2. Gather sap often and boil before
it starts to sour or ferment. On 6
warm day even few hours delay will
mean such a change.
8. Replace as rapidly as possible any
equipment made of material contain
ing lead. Until such replacement car
be made, resurfacing must be effected
as indicated below. This obviousl!
does not apply to sap boilers. Thu
latter should be of copper or of some
other lead-free metal.
4. For the initial painting of bucket:
and other equipment and for covering
lead paint heretofore applied, a pain
which is free from lead and other pois
onous substances must be used. Test!
made elsewhere on a limited number
of paints have been reported to US a.
indicating the following named brands
to be satisfactory from the standpoint
of ease of application, adhesion, tim'
of drying, hardness after contacs will
sap, and resistance to abrasion ant
freezing.
A list of paints which have beer
tried will be furnished to those inter
ested from the Department of Health