Wisconsin bill could require restaurants to tell customers if they’re getting real maple syrup

MEQUON, Wis. (CBS 58) – A bill circulating at the Wisconsin state Capitol could mean a change the next to time you visit a diner and order a topping for your pancakes.  

Under this bill, a public eating place may not serve a food product identified as maple syrup unless the product is made entirely of maple syrup, as the term is defined in federal regulations.

Representative Tara Johnson is one of the lawmakers behind the bill. She said she supports the legislation to have truthful advertising to customers and to support businesses in the state. 

“I think it’s important to the maple syrup industry,” Johnson said. “We want real maple syrup to be identified as such, and we want to make sure we’re supporting the maple syrup industry in Wisconsin.”

Johnson said there would be no penalty for restaurants who would violate the language outlined. 

Rick O'Malley makes pure maple syrup at his home in Mequon for family and friends. He says the artificial products don't compare to what mother nature provides. 

"People probably don’t know the difference until they taste maple syrup; then they realize, ‘wow, this stuff is really good," O'Malley said. “Give it a try, and you’ll never go back.”

Wisconsin’s maple syrup producers made more than 450,000 gallons in 2024 alone. 

"The Wisconsin maple industry is actually fourth in the nation in maple production," said Theresa Baroun, the executive director of the Wisconsin Maple Syrup Producers Association.

A similar bill was first introduced in 2023, but it failed to make it to a vote. Johnson and O'Malley hope this sweet product sticks with lawmakers as they decide it's future.