Maine’s maple and honey producers applauded news coming out of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week, announcing the agency is reconsidering a plan requiring “added sugar” be included on all pure maple syrup and honey labels.
The state’s producers of the natural sweeteners feared the proposed labeling requirements would undo decades of industry marketing.
As part of a campaign aimed at educating consumers about excess sugar in their diets, the FDA had proposed that labels on pure maple sugar and pure honey contain the language “added sugar,” despite acknowledging no added sugar is present in either product beyond what naturally occurs. Maple and honey are sweet because of their naturally occurring fructose and glucose sugars.
Three thousand comments and hours of feedback later, the agency is admitting this may not have been the best plan for the state’s $20 million annual maple syrup industry, the third largest in the country, producing539,000 gallons last year.
This week the FDA issued a statement that, based on those comments it had received on the issue, it plans to “swiftly formulate a revised approach that makes key information available to consumers in a workable way.”
To read the rest of “Feds rethinking ‘added sugar’ label after blowback from Maine syrup, honey makers,” an article by contributing Bangor Daily News staff writer Julia Bayly, please follow this link to the BDN online.
