Fake Maple Syrup Scandal Widens

Authorities pull additional maple syrup from grocery store shelves after discovering cans with labels that hide the name of implicated producer Steve Bourdeau’s company, 9227-8712 Québec inc. This follows reports of falsified syrup diluted with 50 percent cane sugar, despite being marketed as pure.

Testing at Quebec’s provincial maple syrup certification lab on five cans from Bourdeau revealed the adulteration. Initially, consumers spotted “le sirop Angela” stickers covering the producer’s name. Now, similar cans bear “L’Érableille” labels, also peeled back by shoppers to expose Bourdeau’s company underneath.

Distributor Reactions

Pierre Alain, owner of food distributor L’Érableille, confirms he bought syrup from Bourdeau and relabeled it for sale to stores, including Adonis. “It’s horrible. People will do anything to get rich,” Alain states. He began removing the product two weeks ago but some cans lingered on Adonis shelves as recently as last Friday. An Adonis spokesperson notes the recall is in progress. Alain, unaware of the falsification at purchase, laments the financial hit: “It’s a big loss for me. I don’t know what to do. I call him and he doesn’t answer.”

Sylvain Desgranges, owner of Distributions JL, similarly sourced syrup from Bourdeau in late March and applied “le sirop Angela” labels. “I am very sorry about the situation, and the syrup has been removed,” Desgranges says. His team plans to test the recalled cans.

Industry Impact

Luc Goulet, president of the Quebec Federation of Maple Syrup Producers (PPAQ), warns the scandal tarnishes the sector’s reputation. “It’s our entire reputation that’s been at stake for the past few weeks,” Goulet explains. “Producers are being questioned even though they comply with all the standards for canning 100 per cent pure products.”

Goulet highlights that most Quebec producers sell bulk syrup in large barrels, rigorously checked at the provincial lab. A minority, including Bourdeau, bottle their own for direct sales to distributors and grocers, bypassing routine testing.

Bourdeau maintains he adheres to all regulations and suspects out-of-province suppliers for the tainted batches, but offers no response on the relabeling.