Vermont’s congressional delegation is calling on the Food & Drug Administration to stop allowing “misleading” assertions from manufacturers who claim to use maple syrup in food products.
Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Peter Welch said in a statement that companies that misbrand food are purposely deceiving consumers who are willing to pay a fair price for products sweetened with maple syrup.
Every product that is sold with a false or misleading claim of maple on the label, they said, “erodes the well-earned reputation for quality of pure maple syrup, and steals income from maple producers in Vermont and across the Northeast.”
A few of the companies in violation of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act include Hood Ice Cream, Quaker Oats, MOM Brands Better Oats and Nature’s Path, according to the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers’ Association. FDA regulations require manufacturers to cite the percentage of ingredients in food.
The Vermont association, in a press release, accuses the companies of intentionally deceiving consumers by “misbranding maple” in non-maple food products.
The Vermont Maple Sugar Makers’ Association, the North American Maple Syrup Council and the International Maple Syrup Institute sent a joint letter to the FDA requesting enforcement action against companies that are incorrectly labeling products.
