BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - On this day in history, a Vermont governor swigged syrup to prove its safety.

In October 1994, there was a syrup recall in Vermont after lead was discovered during testing of some samples. To calm any fears about the safety of Vermont’s signature product, then Governor Howard Dean gulped down some syrup at a press conference.

The state’s agriculture department believed the contamination came from lead solder in maple production equipment and was isolated to a few producers.

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