Maple syrup is one of Canada’s most iconic sweet treats, loved for its unique flavour and natural origin. However,...
What is organic maple syrup? How is it made?
Organic certification is obtained following the examination of the production and the production process. Certification bodies take care of all the verification. Maple syrup can also be labeled organic. This guarantees a quality product. This production does not endanger the environment. We give you more details about organic maple syrup in this article.
What is organic ?
A product is said to be organic when it comes from organic farming. Organic also echoes a notion of environmental respect in production practices. An organic product refers to the absence of pesticides or aggressive chemical fertilizers. This is a very strict set of standards. These help to protect the environment and the consumer.
There are many objectives that drive organic production. Protecting the planet often tops the list. The aim is to avoid the deterioration of the soil due to excessively intensive exploitation. We also want to minimize pollution and keep exploited species healthy. A balance between productivity and respect for nature must be achieved.
It does not mean that the finished products will not be good. Production practices (processing and handling) will precisely maintain the qualities of the product. Certification involves an annual assessment so that the authorities can ensure that the products actually meet the organic criteria.
As you will have understood, the organic certification that a product carries is a guarantee for the consumer. By opting for this type of product, he is sure to choose a product manufactured in compliance with environmental standards. On the other hand, it should be noted that the costs incurred in organic production are much higher than those of intensive agriculture.
Organic maple syrup
To be qualified as organic, the syrup in question must come from maple groves that are part of an organic approach. We must not find synthetic products that disturb the environment. These are sometimes used to protect trees or to increase their sap yield. Certification bodies must also ensure that maple syrup does not contain any chemical elements. Otherwise, the latter must be kept below a certain “acceptable” threshold.
As a reminder, the Maple syrup is obtained by heating maple sap. As it condenses, it takes on the form of syrup. Then, this syrup will be used to prepare taffy, butter or maple sugar.
To date, only a small portion of Canadian maple syrup comes from organic production (about 10 % in 2016). Why did organic certification appear for maple syrup? There has been a wave of decline of maple trees that was thought to be due to acid rain. It was in fact due to several factors, including bad practices that caused the premature death of the trees.
Today, maple syrup production must meet strict Canadian standards to benefit from the organic label.
They concern:
- operation (development and maintenance);
- the way the trees are notched;
- the materials used at each stage;
- the practices put in place for heating the sap and transforming it into maple syrup;
- cleaning and maintenance,
- aromatic preservation of products.
The inspection will notably make it possible to certify that the management of pests is done without the use of poison. In the same way, the disinfection of the material cannot be done with germicide or denatured alcohol. With regard to cleaning and maintenance, it must be carried out with products with low environmental impact.
Maple syrup: How is the certification process going?
The sugar bush must meet certain criteria to be eligible for certification. There must be no chemical products in the 36 months preceding the audit. Registration with the certifier must have been carried out at least 15 months before the first harvest to be certified. Finally, two inspections must have been carried out beforehand.
Once the certification has been obtained, it is expected that an inspector will visit the farm every year.
This person will ensure, among other things, that:
- the maximum number of taps per tree is respected, because too many taps contribute to the decline of the tree;
- the minimum ratio of tree species in the maple grove is respected, so that the ecosystem is preserved. This contributes to the good health of the trees in general;
- no air is injected into the syrup to modify its consistency;
- there is no animal breeding in the sugar bush;
- the fertilizers, cleaning products, disinfection products and anti-foaming agents used are compatible with organic production;
- only single-use barrels made of materials compatible with organic production are used in production.
This allows the certification body to ensure that it still meets the conditions required to benefit from certification.
Our organic selection around maple syrup
If you pay attention to the impact of your consumption on the planet, you necessarily prefer an organic alternative even for maple syrup. You will find all these criteria in the products offered on our site.
For your gourmet breaks, discover the organic wild blueberry jam with maple from the Délices du Lac-Saint-Jean brand. Here's a treat you can savor guilt-free. It combines two Canadian specialties in one product.
THE maple sugar is another sugar bush product made from maple syrup. We offer it in powder in different formats and in organic form at “Prestige Maple Products”: 227 gr, 454 gr or 1 kg. It also exists in the form of organic flakes in packs of 227 gr and 454 gr. The same brand invites you to discover its organic maple sticks.
We still offer you maple syrup soap organic. It was imagined and created by the brand “Madame Savon”. Maple soap from Canada is gentle on the skin and indulgent.
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