Criminal Pancakes: Falsely Marketing Fake Maple Syrup Could Be a Felony

  • Share
  • Read Later
Jamie Grill/ Getty Images

Obviously, ensuring quality pancake toppings is worth severe legal measures.

Consumerist reports that New York Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer are sponsoring a bill that would make selling imitation maple syrup labeled as the real thing a felony. Called the “Maple Agriculture Protection and Law Enforcement Act” (yes, that’s  the M.A.P.L.E. Act), the bill would mean that branding a food product as maple syrup when it’s not real maple syrup would be a federal offense, punishable by up to five years in jail.

(MORE: Cheese Is the Most Stolen Food On Earth)

“Maple farmers across New York state produce some of the highest-quality syrup in the world,” Schumer told the Albany Times Union. “We need to crack down on individuals trying to pass off fake syrup as the real thing.”

Apparently, this move comes hot off the heels of a U.S. Food and Drug investigation that found a man in Rhode Island was selling syrup labeled as “maple” although the product — brace yourself — didn’t actually contain a single trace of maple.

All jokes aside, NewsFeed actually feels this is an important move. Apart from the issues of false advertising and charlatans crowding the market, you just don’t mess with breakfast.

MORE: Restaurants for Cheese Lovers Around the World