WHEREAS,  Maine is known for its natural and wholesome foods and is the 3rd largest producer of maple syrup in the United States, producing over $20,000,000 of maple syrup in 2017, and produces over $2,000,000 of honey annually; and

WHEREAS,  the pure honey and maple syrup industries have worked diligently to educate consumers about the value and purity of their products as a result of the introduction of similarly identified but inferior products into the marketplace; and

WHEREAS,  product labels that clearly describe the contents of containers at the point of sale are the most direct message available to consumers; and

WHEREAS,  the United States Food and Drug Administration has released a proposed rule that would require that honey and maple syrup be labeled as containing "added sugar" even when these products are 100% pure single-ingredient products; and

WHEREAS,  the inclusion of the "added sugar" declaration to single-ingredient products like honey and maple syrup, to which no sugar has been added, will result in consumer confusion and may erode consumer confidence; and

WHEREAS,  a requirement to declare "added sugar" would compromise the integrity of naturally sweet single-ingredient products and would have an irrevocably negative impact on the Maine maple syrup and honey industries; now, therefore, be it