McDonalds, Vermont Settle Maple Dispute

Friday, 21 January 2011 | by Pat's Picks

Vermonters know their maple. So when McDonalds introduced its new Fruit and Maple Oatmeal at restaurants around the state, they were immediately called out. According to the Burlington Free-Press, Vermont has very strict rules regulating what can be labeled ‘maple’ and what cannot. And the maple syrup the chain was serving, according to the governor, “was extracted from the bark of a bush that is a distant relative of the maple tree.” After a court settlement yesterday, Vermonters will be able to order the real deal at McDonalds around the state starting February 1st. The rest of us, it seems, are stuck with the bark syrup.

The official website of the Vermont Maple Syrup Industry, including the state’s strict maple laws