Anderson’s Maple Syrup is All Natural!
There are no additives or preservatives in Anderson’s Pure Maple Syrup. As a matter of fact, there are no ingredients added to Anderson’s Pure Maple Syrup either. Pure Maple Syrup is exactly what you’re getting every time you purchase a bottle of Anderson’s.
Pure Maple Syrup is made from the sap of a maple tree. The sap flows through a maple tree all year long, but in the spring the sap changes to a sweet mixture that brings the tree needed nutrients to waken it from its long winter of dormancy. This sweet solution brings needed nutrients to the whole tree, but especially to the buds that eventually turn into those wonderful maple leaf shapes that we all have come to know and love. Once the leaves start to grow the needs of the tree change and so does the sap flowing through it. Once the buds on the tree start to open, the sap will no longer make good pure maple syrup. We are careful to only harvest a small amount of this spring sap, as to not harm the tree, and in over 90 years we have never killed a tree from tapping it. This sweet sap is gathered daily from the trees and quickly boiled to remove the excess water and is turned into Pure Maple Syrup. It takes about 40 gallons of Maple Sap and a lot of time, love and patience to make one gallon of Anderson’s Pure Maple Syrup.
The Nutritional Panel is changing the syrup is not.
Why no new nutritional label?
The FDA is updating the nutritional panel on all foods. This includes adjusting the serving sizes, adding potassium and vitamin D and a few other things. You may have noticed that Pure Maple Syrup along with other pure single ingredient products such as honey has not yet adopted the new format. The reason is about the “added sugar” line. In an effort to inform consumers of the amount of sugar added to their diet, the FDA is requiring “added sugars” below the existing “sugar” listing. Foods like Pure Honey and Pure Maple Syrup have questioned this since it gives the impression that we ADD sugar to our single-ingredient 100% Pure products. After feedback from the Honey and Maple Industry, the FDA is reconsidering its stance and will be coming out with a new version of the Nutrition Panel in 2019. That means you could start to see the newly proposed version after 2020.
What’s in Maple Syrup
Pure Maple Syrup contains many vitamins and minerals, all that was collected by the maple tree throughout the year. here is a comparison of different sweeteners and their contents.
So is Maple Syrup Healthy?
Health benefits of real maple syrup are far more comprehensive than you might expect. The only product in our diet coming directly from a plant’s sap, This natural sweetener features over 54 antioxidants that can help prevent damage caused by free radicals. In addition, maple syrup features high levels of zinc and manganese, keeping the heart healthy and boosting the immune system.
Beware of Imitations
They can be worded and shaped like Pure Maple Syrup. So how can you tell? For starters, if it says “Pure Maple Syrup”, it probably is. In order to be sure, read the back label. If there are any ingredients listed other than “Pure Maple Syrup”, it’s an imitation. Leading pancake syrups contain NO Pure Maple Syrup and rely on high fructose corn syrup as the primary ingredient. Sometimes imitation syrups list maple syrup as an ingredient, but it probably contains 5% or less. Double check the bottle to make sure you’re getting Pure Maple Syrup and nothing else!
What are the Imitations Made From?
There are roughly 9 or 10 different ingredients, including high fructose corn syrup, salt, stabilizers, thickeners, and many other things that are hard to pronounce and not very good for you. The most common ingredients in leading brands are:
- Corn syrup
- Salt
- Caramel color
- Artificial flavor
- Cellulose gum (thickening agent)
- Sodium benzoate (preservative)
- Sorbic acid (preservative)
- Sodium hexametaphosphate (an additive that improves the quality and stability of food products)
Health Differences Between Pure Maple Syrup and Imitation Syrups
Pure Maple Syrup is all natural and contains many vitamins and minerals that are noticeably absent from other sweeteners. It’s quite simple – do you want a pure, natural product or something filled with preservatives and artificial color and other additives?
