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Abstract
Excerpts from the report: Maple sirup and maple sugar are made from the sap of certain species of maple trees. Virtually all of the world's supply of maple sweeteners is produced in 2 countries--the United States and Canada. The sugar in maple sap is nearly all sucrose, the same sugar extracted from sugar beets and sugar cane. There are basically 2 types of maple sirup: Table grade sirups, which are light colored and mild flavored, account for about three-fourths of total output and all that is consumed as pure maple sirup. Darker colored and strong flavored sirups are used mostly for blending with sugar sirups. The flavor of mild sirups is not sufficiently strong for blending. Conversely, the flavor of dark sirups generally is too intense to consume without blending. Total domestic consumption of maple sweeteners has remained relatively stable since 1948. Because total consumption held about steady while U. S. population was increasing, per capita consumption (sirup basis) declined about a fourth from 0.21 pounds in 1948 to about 0.15 pounds in 1965. However, per capita consumption in 1965 was down three-fourths from a half century ago.