Log Cabin: 3 reasons to keep your cabin free of this fake & unhealthy syrup

Written by Ajay Chohan, Founder

Log Cabin Original Syrup - Conagra Brands

Concerns with the Log Cabin Syrup: Log Cabin has potentially toxic ingredients under the guise of a traditional & wholesome pancake syrup. Log Cabin contains 0% actual maple syrup.

Harmful Ingredients in Log Cabin to Avoid: Caramel Color, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Artificial Flavors

LOG CABIN MIGHT BE THE UNDISPUTED KING of misleading brands. A title it has sustained since 1887 mind you. The syrup’s packaging, with the image of a snow covered cabin house, draws upon the purity and beauty of nature. Perhaps their syrup comes from a similarly beautiful place? Perhaps the syrup comes directly from an orchard of maple trees nearby this cabin? Sigh. The label further has phrases like ‘traditional rich taste’ and points out ‘health facts’ like the syrup not containing high fructose corn syrup, guiding consumers to think this is a natural, wholesome and healthy product, when Log Cabin is the exact opposite.

Let’s get right into the actual ingredients of this fake syrup and the 3 reasons why they are troublesome:

Reason 1 - So, what’s in this concoction? Hint: not maple syrup.

Unsurprisingly, the first ingredient here is corn syrup, an added sugar. Since Log Cabin contains 0% real maple syrup, it has to get its sweetness from an additive. The syrup then gets its taste from artificial flavors, which while not necessarily harmful, are synonymous with processed foods.

Reason 2 - Caramel color & the potential cancer causing carcinogen 4-Mel in the Log Cab syrup.

After the artificial flavoring, Log Cabin gets its color from the synthetic caramel color. Caramel color is made by reacting corn syrup with ammonia and sulfites under high pressure (2).  Here is where it gets worse. Some types of caramel color contain 4-Mel, a potential carcinogen shown to cause cancerous tumors in mice (1). The Log Cabin Original syrup in tests was shown to contain 11.5 micrograms of 4-Mel per ¼ cup of serving (1). Having a possible human carcinogen in your syrup is not good. If this were real maple syrup, adding artificial caramel coloring would not be needed.

Reason 3 - The synthetic Sodium Hexametaphosphate thickener in Log Cabin and its links to severe skin irritations and more.

Next is sodium hexametaphosphate, another synthetic compound used as a texturizer or thickener in foods, while also having industrial uses in paints, coats etc. (gross). In studies on lab animals this compound caused “swollen kidneys, loss of bone calcium, extreme skin irritations and other precursors to cancer (3). Yup, certainly not something we want on our morning pancakes.

Log Cabin digs deeper into its bag of tricks and introduces an “all natural syrup”

Worried that some consumers have found out just how disgusting the ingredients list of its original fake syrup is, Log Cabin introduced an “all natural syrup.” I am not sure what Log Cabin is trying to imply with this name. Authentic all natural maple syrup only has one ingredient; maple syrup.

This ‘natural syrup’ though is just a concoction of various additives like brown rice syrup, sugar and xanthan gum. Luckily Log Cabin is not legally allowed to call this concoction maple syrup, but it’s trying quite hard to imply that it is one. Although the ingredients list in this ‘natural syrup’ does not contain the toxic ingredients that Log Cabin’s original syrup does, it’s still an artificial product, and still contains 0% actual maple syrup.

The Resulting Class Action Lawsuit.

This “natural” line has come under scrutiny and was also subject to a class action lawsuit in 2018, when Barbara Moreno sued Log Cabin Syrup’s maker Pinnacle Foods Group. As this case text on Truthinadvertising.org states, “nowhere on the product or in the ingredient list does Defendant explain that it contains artificial or synthetic ingredients but instead relies on consumer ignorance of its ingredients to hide the artificial, synthetic or highly processed nature of its ingredients.” Not only that, the packaging style of this Log Cabin ‘natural syrup’ imitates those of actual pure maple syrups! What else could be the intention of Log Cabin here other than to fool consumers into thinking this is real maple syrup?

Log Cabin’s fake and toxic syrup is one to avoid.

This processed & additives laden syrup is completely devoid of any nutritious or wholesome properties. Real maple syrup is naturally rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. More accurate imagery for Log Cabin would be one depicting a lab and a “potentially toxic” sign, not nature. The next time we ask ourselves if our favorite maple syrup is gluten free or vegan, let’s dive deeper into the ingredients to first make sure it is not fake and toxic. A lot of brands will boldly stamp “gluten free,” “vegan” or other labels on their packaging to hide the harmful ingredients present. And worse give the impression that this is actually a healthy food product. You can safely keep your cabin free of this junk on your next family trip ;)

Is (or was) Log Cabin syrup part of your breakfast routine? Share your thoughts below.

Sources - Research for Yourself!

1. https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/03/caramel-coloring-in-pancake-syrup/index.htm

2. https://www.cspinet.org/new/201102161.html

3. https://www.isitbadforyou.com/questions/is-sodium-hexametaphosphate-bad-for-you

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