State lowers lead action level for maple syrup; industry urges testing and clarity

Allison of the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association told the committee that the Agency of Agriculture recently updated the investigation or action threshold for lead in maple syrup from a longstanding 250 parts per billion to six parts per billion. Allison said the agency originally described the change as not an "action level," but also told producers it could take action if syrup tested above six parts per billion. “They were telling us it wasn't an action level, but at the same time they were telling us that they could take action if your syrup tested over six parts per billion,” she said.

Data gap and association response: Allison said there is no recent, statewide dataset on lead in maple syrup: “We don't have any recent data, zero zilch, none on lead and maple syrup,” she said. The association has a voluntary sugar‑house certification program that prohibits equipment that can introduce lead; Allison said the program and a grant to remove lead‑introducing equipment provide mitigation tools but that the sudden drop in the state’s threshold is a steep change without contemporary testing data or dedicated funding to help producers remediate problems if they are found.

Funding request and testing proposal: Allison described a federal earmark request and an industry plan to sample syrup from a range of producers over three years and to test samples at a public lab to produce evidence about the scope of lead presence across operation sizes. She framed the testing program as necessary to target assistance effectively rather than to imply a current industry‑wide contamination problem.

Enforcement and process questions: Committee members asked how an exceedance would be handled; Allison said the process and enforcement thresholds were not yet clearly documented on the agency website and that producers wanted clarity on when and how the agency would act. The association planned to raise the matter with agency staff in a follow‑up session. Allison urged outreach and educational support to help producers understand the land‑use and equipment conditions that can affect lead risks.

Why it matters: A large decline in a public‑health action threshold — from 250 ppb to six ppb — can change sampling and compliance expectations for producers, and the association told lawmakers it needs transparent agency guidance and funding to collect representative data before compliance actions are broadly applied.

Next steps: Agency of Agriculture staff were scheduled to meet with the group the following day; the association asked the committee to consider support for testing resources and clearer guidance so producers can respond if samples indicate elevated lead.

No formal regulatory action or enforcement outcomes were recorded during the briefing; the committee did not take a vote.