Maple syrup is one of Canada’s most iconic sweet treats, loved for its unique flavour and natural origin. However,...
Organic maple syrup (the standard to be respected)
How is maple syrup obtained?
The production of this syrup begins at the very beginning of spring, during a period called the sugaring season, or the sugar season. Between the months of February and April, temperatures are cold enough at night to freeze, and warm enough during the day to thaw. This cycle is absolutely essential for the proper flow of sap from the tree.
It is indeed this sap - also called maple water - which will then be transformed to become the maple syrup that we all know. To harvest it, one makes one or more notches on the trunk. Traditionally, a drip or goudrell is installed at the level of the notch, and containers just below to collect the liquid. The harvest then had to be done manually, using snowshoes - or with a horse - to move more easily in the snow. The sap was then brought back to the sugar shack.
Nowadays, all this collection equipment and the collector itself are replaced by the tubing. This network of blue pipes is equipped with a vacuum pump to transport the sap directly to the reservoirs. Estates that have adopted reverse osmosis technology use it to partially concentrate the sap before heating it. The latter is usually automated too.
When heated, the maple sap condenses. It thickens and takes on a more syrupy texture. Once it has reached the desired consistency, the syrup is then allowed to drop in temperature before packaging it in bottles, cans, sachets, cans or barrels.
Why organic maple syrup?
Although the collection and processing of maple syrup remains essentially natural, not all maple syrup is organic.
Organic is based on sound practices in terms of production, management, processing and handling. The methods used must respect the biological interest and the essential qualities of the product. The objectives of organic are to protect producers, consumers and the planet in general, while providing more transparency and traceability.
In terms of the environment, an organic maple farm produces in such a way as not to damage nature - or as little as possible, to avoid soil erosion and to pollute less. It also respects ecological diversity in the ecosystem in which it produces, here in the forest. This type of operation also encourages others to turn to organic.
The organic certification does not really affect the quality of the product, but rather it is a guarantee for the consumer. It is ensured that the maple syrup is produced in accordance with organic standards regarding the environment, equipment, cleaning or sanitation. Thanks to this, the chances of contamination by chemical or harmful elements are significantly reduced.
Farmers must respect certain forestry regulations (number of taps, composition of the farm). To preserve trees, double tapping is prohibited. The number of taps must also be adapted according to the diameter of the trunk and the vigor of the tree. As you will have understood, to benefit from the certification and the organic designation, you must respect fairly complete specifications.
Part of the maple syrup from the Canadian strategic reserve is certified organic. This allows the country to always have enough stock to meet national or international demand.
Organic maple syrup
: the frame of reference to be respected
A Quebec maple syrup operation wishing to switch to organic must meet the conditions of the Quebec organic designation specifications. Some of the certification bodies are Ecocert Canada, TransCanada Organic Certification Services, LETIS SA or Pro-Cert Organic Systems Ltd.
The standards to be complied with primarily concern the operation itself. The operation has an obligation of traceability and must keep a record of all the actions implemented. An assessor must also carry out an inspection visit every year during the production period. This person will verify compliance with all the criteria of the organic standard and estimate whether the farm can keep it or not.
At the plot level, a percentage of the wood must be made up of companion species for the preservation of the ecosystem and biodiversity. There is also a maximum number of taps per tree to be respected.
Operators must consider the choice of fuel for cooking maple sap if they want to meet environmental standards. To obtain Carbon Neutral certification, they must put in place the necessary measures to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The choice of equipment is also limited: for organic, only food grade equipment is allowed.
When heated, the maple sap produces a froth or froth. The latter must be removed to preserve the quality of the product. Only certain products for the management of this moss are accepted for organic certification.
The choice of equipment is also quite limited with regard to the storage of raw materials and finished products.
Materials and equipment for organic maple syrup production must be disinfected regularly, and the type of disinfectant is regulated. Finally, certain devices will be prohibited in the early stages of operation. These are, for example, air injectors or microwave ovens.
Other rules have also been put in place to prevent product contamination. If a sugar bush aims for organic certification, it must prohibit any animal breeding on the farm. Animal pests such as squirrels should also be managed without poison. For them, we favor small traps.
Conversion or maintenance of certification?
A farm that is already certified must be inspected every year to check that it is still eligible. If non-critical deviations are observed between two inspections, the operator must produce an action plan and significant changes must be made within 90 days.
In the event of a critical deviation, the body decides on the severity of the sanction: downgrading, suspension or refusal of certification.
A new request, or a conversion, will involve sometimes radical changes in the operation and practices of the farm. Apart from the annual certification fee, equipment and materials will often need to be changed. Household products, fuel and how to manage pests and its production will sometimes have to be completely redesigned.
For re-certification, compliance with CAN-CGSB 32-310 and the Organic Products Regulations 2019 is required. Prior to the first harvest to be certified:
- it must not have been used substances prohibited in the woodland at least 36 months before;
- the farm must have registered with a certifier at least 15 months before;
- so-called biological processes and methods must have been applied at least 12 months before.
Out of more than 7,000 maple syrup companies in Quebec, only 1,100 have organic certification. On the other hand, you should know that 40% of Quebec's annual production is organic. This figure is explained by the attractiveness of organic products on the international market. Faced with this demand, we can understand why more and more farmers are ready to turn to organic. Note, however, that at Canada, there is a real desire to produce in a healthy way to do good for the consumer and for the planet.
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