Mike is right. Vinegar is traditional and is there to invert the syrup on
the assumption that it saves the bees some effort. and maybe improves the
texture. Frankly, I doubt it saves the bees any work.
There are concerns about adding acid to winter feed because acid-inverted
HFCS syrups were implicated in the deaths of tens of thousands of wintering
colonies in Western Canada one winter. Autopsies and research confirmed
the diagnosis.
I believe some of the product was bought cheap as it was "off-spec".
Enzymatic inverted syrups on the other hand are apparently; very close to
sucrose as quality winter and rank above some honeys..
AFAIK. people have made bee candy with and without the vinegar for decades
and I have never heard any proof it matters one way or the other.
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