Sticky situation: U.S. tariffs could make maple syrup a 'prime target' for fraud, Guelph researcher warns

Maple syrup has become "an ideal and prime target" for fraud and is at risk due to U.S. tariffs, a researcher in the University of Guelph's department of food science has warned.

Maple syrup fraud refers to the deliberate misrepresentation of the product for economic gains — consumers paying more for a lower value product.

Maleeka Singh said the increased possibility of maple syrup fraud is a direct result of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threats and the imposition of a baseline tariff of 10 per cent on all imports that aren't compliant with the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement.

Singh, maple syrup is often adulterated by the diluting or mixing or completely replacing it with a lower value syrup, like corn syrup. 

"On the labels for example, it might say pure maple syrup, but might actually be a blend of syrups or not even maple syrup at all. Other ways can also include dilution with water, addition of other sugars, or even mislabeling the point of origin," Singh said on CBC K-W's The Morning Edition with host Craig Norris.

"Maple syrup is often referred to as Canada's liquid gold due to its high demand and its price. Unfortunately, this makes it an ideal and prime target for adulteration or maple syrup fraud. This ultimately means, for example, that you as a consumer may be paying a premium price for maple syrup, but instead receive a lower value or a lower quality product."

Singh pointed out that historically, instances of food fraud have increased during harsh economic times and supply chain disruptions. 

Using the last four years as an example, she said the global pandemic, regional wars and significant climate events all caused significant constraints in supply and demand in the supply chain. 

It's estimated that since 2020, instances of food fraud have increased by more than 10-fold, she said. 

"Regardless of what the actual tariffs are, increased threats of tariffs is enough to cause uncertainty in the supply chain, and this can incentivize food fraudsters to substitute pure maple syrup with a lower value product, ultimately leading to an increase in maple syrup fraud," Singh said.

Canada and the U.S. are the only countries that produce maple syrup at commercial scale. In 2023 the Canadian maple syrup industry accounted for approximately 71 per cent of the total world maple syrup production, with 89.9 per cent of Canadian production originating from Quebec, 5.1 per cent from New Brunswick, 4.8 per cent from Ontario, and less than one per cent from Nova Scotia.

Maple products accounted for 3.7 per cent of all Canadian horticulture farm cash receipts in 2023.

Singh said it's difficult for consumers to detect maple syrup fraud. She said maple syrup is often tested by measuring the diluted sugar, something that's usually done in a lab.

"Unfortunately, these food fraudsters are quite smart and they actively try to avoid detection, so there's really a need for quick and cost effective and more complex testing of maple syrup along the supply chain," she said.

Marie-Pier P-Séguin, director general of the Maple Industry Council, says the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regulates maple syrup to ensure that it is safe, wholesome and graded according to established standards.

The CFIA also verifies that maple syrup and maple products are labelled and packaged in accordance with Canadian regulations and standards, so as not to mislead consumers and to facilitate their orderly marketing, the director general shared in an emailed statement.

"Addition of sugar or other sweetening substances or flavours constitute food fraud and must be reported to the CFIA," the statement reads. 

"Any addition to maple syrup contravenes the regulation. To our knowledge, this practice has not been the subject of complaints from our members' customers, either on foreign or domestic markets."

'Fake maple syrup' a concern

Kevin Snyder, a maple syrup producer in Waterloo region in southern Ontario and president of the Waterloo Wellington chapter of the Ontario Maple Producers. He says "fake maple syrup" is a growing concern as demand for real maple syrup increases.

"Just like honey, when there's a market for a premium product, someone will find a way to cut it. The reason is they can cut it with some source for cheap sugar and sell it at 100 per cent-pure  prices," Snyder wrote in an email to CBC News. 

"It may happen here in Ontario, but I believe it's mostly the export market. People in other countries believe it's 100 per cent pure and it's not."

LISTEN | Researcher says U.S. tariffs could lead to maple syrup food fraud: 

The Morning Edition - K-W9:08U.S. tariffs could lead to maple syrup food fraud, Guelph researcher says

There’s nothing quite like maple syrup with pancakes and waffles, but researchers at the University of Guelph say U.S. tariffs put maple syrup at an increased risk of food fraud. Maleeka Singh, a PhD candidate at the University of Guelph’s department of food science, explains what food fraud is, how it could impact the maple syrup industry and what role AI could play in making sure the syrup is authentic.