In order to tamp the scourge of artificial maple syrup being sold as the real deal, New York Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer are sponsoring a bill that would make it a felony.

The bill would make “mislabeling” a food product as “maple syrup” a federal offense. Currently this syrup crime is only a misdemeanor. By under the “Maple Agriculture Protection and Law Enforcement Act” — or “M.A.P.L.E.A” — it could have up to a five-year prison sentence.

“Maple farmers across New York state produce some of the highest-quality syrup in the world,” Schumer told the Albany Times Union. “We need to crack down on individuals trying to pass off fake syrup as the real thing, so that our farmers can compete fair and square. The only thing that should be flowing over mom’s pancakes is good, pure, New York maple syrup.”

“This bill ensures that producers of real maple syrup can sell their product in an honest market and that consumers know what they’re paying for,” Gillibrand told the Albany Times Union.

Fake maple syrup sours sweet image [Albany Times Union]

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