Quebec maple syrup producers using gold nanoparticles to test quality
The maple syrup we pour on our pancakes is the product of high-precision work, and its quality is scrupulously inspected before it's sold.
But sometimes, unwanted flavours can creep into the syrup and lessen its grade, much to the chagrin of maple syrup producers.
Fortunately, researchers at the Université de Montréal (UdeM), in collaboration with the Producteurs et Producrices acéricoles du Québec (PPAQ) and producers in the field, have developed an easy way to test the sap using gold particles and nanotechnology.
Gold particles as thin as one-hundredth the width of a hair turn red in the liquid where they rest. But when maple sap is added, the liquid turns blue.
"It's like a pH test, or a chlorine test for the pool," explains UdeM chemistry professor Jean-Francois Masson, who co-created the COLORI test.
The more drops you can add before the colour changes, the more likely the syrup will be of good quality.
This year, 250 seasonal kits were distributed as part of a pilot project, and researchers expect to invest more widely in 2024.
The technology allows producers to test for quality before "putting a lot of energy and time" into making their syrup, said PPAQ spokesperson Joël Vaudeville.
They can also sample and compare sap from different trees on the often-large properties.
Vaudeville says the test is "very simple to use" on-site, and an analysis grid is provided so producers can interpret the results themselves.
"It allows them to make business decisions."
According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, flavour defects "can be a trace of caramel, which is more common in amber or dark syrup, or a trace of sap of bud, which is more common in late-season syrups," among other things.
Defective syrups are usually used exclusively in processing plants and kept off store shelves.
There are four main classes of syrup. Golden, with a delicate taste, comes with the beginning of the maple season. As time progresses, the colour becomes darker and the taste more pronounced.
"With climate change, spring weather has become very variable," said Masson, adding that for the past ten years, producers have increasingly found "atypical flavour profiles," especially at the end of the season.
Research to further the test was published in the journal ACS Food Science & Technology.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Marh 26, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.