MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) – Consumers who buy Vermont maple syrup can now be assured that they’re getting the real thing.

The state Agency of Agriculture has changed its rules to require that all Vermont maple syrup be labeled as Vermont grade, rather than U.S. grade or simply as amber or fancy. And if the producer has Vermont in its name but the syrup comes from out of state, the label must disclose the origin of the syrup.

The new rules, which went into effect in January, are designed to make it easier for consumers to identify syrup produced in Vermont.

“The concern has been we don’t know by looking at a container of syrup whether it’s from Vermont,” said Henry Marckres, the agency’s chief of consumer protection.

Some maple syrup containers are confusing, he said. Either they’re stamped with a U.S. grade of syrup, when the sap was tapped and boiled in Vermont, or they list Vermont, but the syrup came from other states or Canada.

The new rules make clear whether the syrup was tapped and boiled in Vermont. The agency standards are separate from rules written by the Attorney General’s office to help consumers figure out whether products are made in Vermont or contain state products.

The Vermont grade can be used as a marketing tool for producers, Marckres said. By requiring the Vermont grade on all Vermont syrup, “it’s much easier to enforce and much easier to tell consumers to look for the grade,” he said.

A survey done by the state indicates that consumers “if they’re in Vermont and buy syrup they want to buy Vermont syrup,” he said. “The Vermont brand denotes quality and they can rely on the grade and the label.”

Companies who must change their labeling under the new rules can file for an exemption of up to six months to use up their inventory of labels or containers, Marckres said.

Maple Grove Farms of Vermont in St. Johnsbury, which has been in business since 1915, sells syrup from Vermont, New Hampshire, Quebec, Maine and Vermont. The company has decided to remove Vermont from its label rather than to list where the syrup comes from.

“I didn’t want to broadcast a product from Canada on the label,” said Steve Jones, general manager. “That to me only hurts Vermont … We took I guess what you would call the path of least resistance and sacrificed some of the branding and chose not to put Vermont on the label.”

AP-ES-02-06-06 1618EST