Maple syrup gathering momentum as cane sugar substitute

A senior figure in the food industry has highlighted the important role of maple syrup in ‘clean label’ marketing culture, which has seen producers seek healthier alternatives to cane sugar.

Arnold Coombs, Bascom’s director of sales and marketing, explained that maple syrup is able to be a replacement for traditional sweeteners in baked products, because of the high ratio of sucrose it contains.

Talking to the Commercial Baking media platform – in the wake of figures from Innova Market Insights which show that some 30% of global food and beverage launches involved a ‘clean label claim’ over the last year – Coombs reported the heightened demand has been felt in the maple syrup market. He said:

“The issue has been that the market keeps growing faster than production, so it’s put a pinch on what’s available in the market. We’re consistently seeing younger generations seek out pure and natural products. That single-ingredient, clean-label aspect of maple is appealing to that demographic.”

Organic maple syrup can be used in the recipe for a plethora of commercial food products, including many baked items. These include cookies, biscuit bars, doughnuts, pastries, breads, cakes, pies and granola. The ingredient is valued by commercial bakers for its ability to provide moisture and texture, add to flavour profiles, and be a useful binder in foods such as granola.

Food marketers use clean labels to demonstrate the healthy aspects of their products, show transparency and build trust with consumers. The sales tactic has emerged hand in hand with the rise of the health and wellness industry.