At last word (within the past week), the CBC said Steve Bourdeau was still carrying on business as usual. In spite of being exposed by the CBC as a seller of bogus Maple Syrup. And even though a number of public and private investigations are under way…
Steve Bourdeau: In a still frame from a CBC French TV hidden camera sting operation…
It as bad enough that Bourdeau was smearing egg on the faces of all Quebec maple producers by selling Ontario and New Brunswick syrup as ‘Product of Quebec’. But it was even worse that he was diluting the stuff, and cutting it with cane sugar to stretch his profits.
The fake syrup was reportedly sold to mainly Ontario supermarket chains for $5 per can. Of course, they added their own profit onto that for an eventual retail price of between $8 and $11.
Investigations under way
Law enforcement and the Québec Ministry of Agricultue and Food are reportedly investigating Bourd-eau on a number accounts pertaining to what some folks have taken to calling ‘Maplegate’. And the Québec Maple Producers Association (PPQA) is also looking into the affair. The PPQA is responsible for self-regulating the purity and origin claims Québec maple producers make for their products.
The plot thickens…
Now, court documents filed by inspectors who visited Bourdeau’s operation show that the officials found pallets full of canned Syrup returned to him by customers.
The PPQA inspectors also reported they witnessed, while they were on-site, “members of Bourdeau’s staff […] transferring the syrup from the cans into large containers.”
When the inspectors asked Bourdeau what he intended to do with the syrup, he reportedly replied, “I’ll find a way to get rid of it…”
Damning condemnation
“It therefore appears that the respondents (Bourdeau and his company) are still active,” The PPQA court filing records, “and that they still intend to sell adulterated maple products, despite the media attention given to their activities and to the detriment of the interests and reputation of all maple producers in Quebec.”
CBC reports, “The [PPQA] is asking the province’s food marketing regulator for permission to seize all of Bourdeau’s syrup, to order him to stop producing and marketing syrup, and to collect from him a total of $190,000 in fines and unpaid [Association] contributions.”
My take
It may take more than just a slap on the wrist from the PPQA to make Bourdeau stop selling bogus syrup. The evidence – especially on accusations he breached Québec provincial regulations regarding the labelling and purity of his products – seems pretty conclusive. But Brourdeau seems equally con-fident he’ll escape serious consequences. We’ll see how that all comes out, in the wash…
~ Maggie J.