Banning the use of Galvanized sap Buckets?

[Rebelspride]

I know growing up in Fairfax there are a lot of sugarmakers here. I was told yesterday that as of Jan 2013 you will no longer be able to use Galvanized buckets for gathering sap has anyone else heard this yet? I know you can not use galvanized barrel to store syrup but havent seen this anywhere on the internet.We have tap over 2000 buckets put up every year (no pipeline) and rely on these and if we have to change to aluminum buckets don't know what we will do.

Thanks For your help Renee

[Shadylane08]

I've heard the samething.  I actually first heard of this a year or two ago, and the deadline was suppose to be jan. 1 2012 but I think they've pushed the date back a year or two.  I think they realize how hard of a switch this is going to be for a lot of people

I think its silly they are banning galv. buckets, like you said alot of people still mainly use buckets and it'll be a huge expense purchasing either new aluminum or plastic buckets!

[Mike Raburn]

What is the reasoning behind banning galvanized buckets?

[al brodeur]

not sure--maybe the lead in the galvanizing? how about the syrup cans they are tinned on the inside too
and the evaporater rigs tinned too. sounds like a pipline manufacturer payoff.

[Rebelspride]

Al your right~!!!!!!!!!! We tap 2000+ Buckets every year we boil with wood no RO we have Won the 2006 and 2010 best in the nation with our syrup at the NAMSC & IMSI. We don't have the need for pipeline and would rather not use it as far as i'm concerened Syrup taste better from a bucket and firewood! sugaring is in my blood and it's these BIG operation that are going to end up putting us "ole fashiion" operation out of business.....

[FletcherGram]

Rebelspride, when we decided to go from buckets (was 3,500) to pipleine (>10,000) and vacuum then RO (still have wood fired rig), I was also concerned that the syrup would taste different and the color would not be so light (as in light amber) but it didn't effect either. We have a small family operation. We don't purchase sap from any other source. All that we do is on our own land.

[cedarman]

I think when this was being proposed a year or two ago, it changed from can't use galvanized buckets to can't buy, but I could be wrong on that.  I thought the use of tin cans for sale/distribution was no longer allowed under VT law (has to be glass or HDPE plastic).
I don't have a dog in this fight one way or the other (except maybe as a consumer of the end product), but from what I've heard and read about this previously, there have not been any detectable levels of lead in maple syrup, and the move away from old galvanized buckets was based primarily on a "concern" that it might be present.   IF there is any data out there that shows lead in syrup, I would like to see it.  Laws need to be logical based on FACTS (real data), not emotional ("concern") driven.