ORGANIC CERTIFICATION

Fulton's Organic Certification

You mean Maple Syrup isn't naturally organic? What's involved in organic certification?

Ecocert Canada is one of the certifying bodies for organic certification in Canada. Organic certification looks at not just the actual sap, but at every facet of our maple farm, from tree care to tapping to production to labeled finished product. It means respect for the environment, trees and the ecosystems of our maple bush. As 5th generation producers, we are very proud to have achieved certified organic status in January 2016 with our pure maple products.

Organic certification requires that we have a mixed forest of deciduous and coniferous trees. Other than clearing paths, we are prohibited from clearing undergrowth and brush, allowing natural composting and return of nutrients to the soil. Thinning of trees must be done carefully. Farm animals are forbidden to graze in the Sugar Bush. No fertilizers are used.
The practice of tapping trees is very specific. The pipeline network cannot wound or inhibit tree growth. We are conservative in the number of taps and the depth/diameter of the tap holes are closely monitored.
Sap is collected using food grade spouts and pipeline systems and is store in stainless steel tanks. Reverse osmosis of sap concentration is in accordance with national guidelines. The processing is done in our stainless steel evaporator, filter press and canning tank. We use approved safflower oil for defoaming which keeps the sap from boiling over the sides of the evaporator pans and greatly reduces the clean-up time!
Washing and cleaning of the evaporator is done only with potable water, sap or vinegar.
Storage of the final product is in approved food grade containers, ranging from stainless steel drums to plastic and glass retail sized containers. Traceability of every container is documented for tapping, cleaning, packing and shipping.
Inspections are carried out annually to ensure high standards continue to be met.

We at Fulton's take our organic certification seriously. It is important for us to be good stewards of our land so that future generations can continue to enjoy maple goodness.