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Selling Maple Syrup in Wisconsin

Here's a summary of pretty much everything you'll need to know specific to selling maple syrup in Wisconsin!

What kind of license do I need?

Processors who produce pure maple syrup and concentrated sap and sell these products wholesale to other processors for further processing are exempt from food processing plant licensing as long as their gross receipts are less than $5,000 per year. All Maple syrup processors must register their business (at no cost) with the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Maple Sap Processor Registration

Food Processing Plant License

Facilities that make maple syrup and sell it wholesale to another processor or entity must have a food processing license unless it is exempt. Gathering maple sap water is not considered food processing and does not require a license.

Exemption

Your facility does not need a food processing plant license if the processor does all of the following:

Sells the maple syrup or concentrated maple sap only to other processors for further processing.
Sells less than $5,000 during the license year. This includes sales for the combined gross receipts from all maple syrup, non-shelf-stable concentrated maple sap, and shelf-stable concentrated maple sap.
- Note: This covers only wholesale product and the $5,000 does not include retail sales.
Keeps a written record of every sale and retains that record for at least two years.
- The record must be available for inspection and copying by DATCP upon request.
- The record shall include the name and address of the purchasing processor, the date of sale, the amount of maple syrup or concentrated maple sap sold, and the sale price.
Registers with DATCP before engaging in any processing activities in any license year ending March 31. A registration expires at the end of the license year. A processor shall register in writing using the maple sap processor registration form (F-fd-346).

Retail Food Establishment License

If you sell maple syrup to a consumer, you must have a retail food establishment license. You do not need a license if all of the following apply:

The establishment only sells fresh fruits and vegetables, honey, cider, sorghum, or maple syrup.
The operator of the establishment produces the product sold to the consumer.

Food Warehouse License

A processor must have a food warehouse license if it holds liquid maple product or maple-derived water for more than 24 hours at a location other than the food processing plant.

What are the regs and rules?

Wisconsin Rules for Maple Syrup Processors handbook (see the general requirements section).
Wisconsin oney and Maple Syrup (ATCP 87)
Other rules: See food processing plant rules below (as applicable, you just want to make sure that some aspect of your business does not fall under some other rule).
- Generally, Ch. ATCP 70
- Bottling establishments, ATCP 70.52 to 70.58
- Canning operations, ATCP 70.34 to 70.42
- General requirements, ATCP 70.01 to 70.32
- Local ordinances, effect of rules, ATCP 70.62
- Scope and definitions, ATCP 70.01, 70.02

Grading your maple syrup

U.S. Grades of Extracted Maple Syrup are the same as Wisconsin's grades. The U.S. maple syrup standards manual can be downloaded free here.

Grading is how the quality of maple syrup is measured and communicated to buyers. If a facility has a food processing plant license, they must label their maple syrup product as one of the following:

Grade A, processing grade, or substandard.

Note: If the product is being sold as bulk to be further processed it may be labeled as ungraded.

If a facility does not hold a food processing plant license, they must label their product as one of the following: Grade A, processing grade, substandard, or ungraded.

Grade A requirements: Maple syrup labeled as Grade A must meet the following characteristics:

Is not more than 68.9 percent solids content by weight, or 68.9 degrees Brix.
Has good uniform color.
Has good flavor and odor, and intensity of flavor, or maple taste, normally associated with the color class for Grade A maple syrup.
Is free from off flavors and odors considered as damage.
Is free from cloudiness, turbidity, sediment, and is clean.

Grade A must be accompanied by descriptive information: The color class of Grade A maple syrup is determined by the percent of transmittance of light at a wavelength of 560 nanometers through the syrup, as measured with a spectrophotometer using matched square optical cells having a 10 mm light path. The color value is expressed as percent of light transmission, as compared to analytical grade glycerol fixed at 100 percent. Percent transmittance is denoted by %Tc. Any method that provides equivalent results may be used to determine Grade A maple syrup color class. Grade A maple syrup color classes and corresponding flavor descriptors are shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Maple Syrup Color Classes and Flavor Descriptions

Grade A Color Class	Flavor Descriptor	Percent Light Trasmittance
Golden	Delicate	At least 75.0
Amber	Rich	50.0-74.9
Dark	Robust	25.0-49.9
Very Dark	Strong	Less than 25.0

Processing grade: Maple syrup labeled as processing grade shall be packed in containers holding at least 5 gallons (18.925 liters) and shall not be packaged in containers smaller than 5 gallons (18.925 liters) for retail sale. Processing grade maple syrup has all of the following characteristics:

Fails to meet the requirements for Grade A maple syrup.
Possesses a fairly good characteristic maple taste.
Is fairly clean and fairly free of damage, turbidity, or cloudiness.
May be in any color class and have any percent light transmittance.
Has not more than 68.9 percent solids content by weight, or not more than 68.9 degrees Brix.
May contain off flavors and odors.
May have a very strong taste.

Substandard grade: Maple syrup labeled as substandard does not meet the requirements for processing grade.

Ungraded: Any maple syrup that does not have a grade designation.

What are the labeling requirements?

Your maple syrup label needs to include:

Your name or your business name and address, including city, state, and ZIP code. You don’t need a street address as long as it’s available in the local phone directory.
Net weight of contents (contents only, not the container). For maple syrup that you package uniformly, you need to list the weight in pounds/ounces and in metric measure. For products packaged in random weights, like maple syrup sugar , you can list the weight in either pounds/ounces or metric measure.
Grade, including the word “Ungraded” if that applies
Color of maple syrup if it is Wisconsin No. 1
Ingredients if you have added anything

Other requirements

Before you set up your facilities, be sure to contact your local town, village, or city and county governments to find out if there are local ordinances you need to meet to process and/or sell your maple syrup. Farmer’s markets may have their own rules, too.

Wisconsin Maple Syrup Facts

Wisconsin ranks 4th in the nation behind Vermont, New York and Maine in production of maple syrup. In 2014, Wisconsin trees produced 200,000 gallons of maple syrup, which is 6.2 percent of the country’s total maple syrup supply. The 2014 crop was valued at about $3.2 million.