New York City officials say they have not been able to determine the source of what many called a sweet smell like maple syrup or pancakes.

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New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said that tests had been conducted by the Department of Environmental Protection, the Health Department and other city agencies, but no toxic substance was found for the smell that seemed most prominent in Manhattan Thursday, the New York Daily News reported Saturday.

"It's believed to be some sort of food substance, but we can't substantiate that," said Kelly Friday.

"I smelled it as I was walking home from Tribeca to the upper West Side, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.," said Michelle Collins. "At first I didn't say anything, but when my roommate got home she said she heard people talking about it all over the city. By then it was like IHOP (International House of Pancakes) on a Sunday morning."