Where Does Vanilla Flavoring Come From?
Vanilla is a classic taste that goes well in many food products. It can also help with heart health and reduce high blood glucose levels.
But where does vanilla flavoring come from? That’s what TikTok user @Sloowmoee sparked an investigation into with his quick Google search. The answer might surprise you.
Origins
Vanilla has long been one of the most popular flavorings in the world, used in everything from cookies and ice cream to perfumes and potpourris. Its popularity is due in large part to its distinctive aroma and the natural, creamy texture it adds to food. But where does the flavor come from? The answer is actually not that far away. The most common source of vanilla flavoring is a petrochemical called vanillin.
But the story of vanilla begins long before that. The tropical, climbing orchid that produces vanilla pods was first cultivated in the 15th century by the Totanac people of present-day Veracruz, Mexico. The natives believed Natural vanilla flavoring the vine sprouted from a blood offering made by the goddess Vanilla and her mortal lover. The Spanish later discovered vanilla along the trading routes to India and China, where the exotic spice became a favorite among elites.
Because vanilla beans are expensive, manufacturers often use synthetic vanillin in place of real vanilla extract. This chemical is derived from the same compound (vanillin) in vanilla beans, but can be made in a variety of ways. For instance, ferulic acid, a byproduct of rice bran oil fermentation, is sometimes used to create synthetic vanillin. Other natural sources of the chemical include eugenol from clove oil, spruce wood pulp and petroleum byproducts.
Flavor Profile
Vanilla is a beloved ingredient that’s found in a wide variety of foods like ice cream and yogurt, as well as non-food products like candles and deodorants. And while vanilla is often considered a standard flavor, it’s actually quite complex and comes in many different varieties depending on the species and geographic origin of the beans.
Vanilla bean demand has skyrocketed in recent years, and natural vanilla extract is in short supply. As such, many manufacturers turn to vanilla flavoring to add this versatile, yet cost-effective, flavor to their foods and other products.
Whether it’s called vanilla extract, natural vanilla flavoring or imitation vanilla, this type of product typically uses a blend of ingredients to achieve the same taste and aroma as pure vanilla extract. Most importantly, they contain vanillin, a compound that’s the main source of vanilla flavor. Vanillin is synthesized from various sources, including the petrochemical precursor guaiacol and from lignin, which is a byproduct of wood pulp manufacturing.
In addition to offering a more cost-effective alternative to vanilla extract, natural vanilla flavoring taps into clean label trends that demand close-to-nature ingredients. This is especially important in categories like beverages, bakery and savory foods, where consumers may have specific expectations for what they’re buying. But even in these categories, there’s a lot to consider when choosing between natural and synthetic vanilla.
Uses
Vanilla flavor is a popular ingredient in baking. It adds sweetness and flavor to sweet treats like cookies and cupcakes. It can also be added to savory foods and beverages, such as caramelized vegetables or seafood. Vanilla is also used to create scents for perfumes and cosmetics.
The popularity of vanilla flavorings in food has led to the creation of new types of extracts, including natural vanilla bean concentrates. These are made with the required amount of vanilla bean extractives and a carrier, which is usually propylene glycol. They can be labeled as vanilla flavor but cannot be called extracts due to the FDA’s Standard of Identity requirements that require an actual extract to contain alcohol.
Unlike vanilla extract, natural vanilla flavoring does not contain any alcohol, so it can be used Candy Flavoring Oil by people who are avoiding alcohol. It is also a common choice for people with food allergies, as it does not contain any allergens. Often, these products are called “WONFs,” which stand for With Other Natural Flavors, and they can include other flavors as well.
While the name may sound a little unappetizing, most of these products do not use castoreum, which is a goo-like secretion from beaver castor glands located in close proximity to the animal’s anus. Rather, most of them are synthesized from compounds in clove oil, wood and bark.
Preparation
In order to create a vanilla flavoring, the seeds of the vanilla plant are steeped in alcohol or glycerol. The resulting liquid is then distilled to produce pure extract, which contains all of the essential oils and flavor compounds that make up vanilla’s complex flavors.
The FDA requires that any food labeled as “vanilla-flavored” must contain a minimum of 10% natural vanilla. However, the cost of producing a product with 100% vanilla extract can be prohibitive for some food manufacturers, especially those who are catering to consumers’ hankering for all-natural foods and beverages.
To keep costs down, some companies use synthetic vanilla flavoring in addition to natural vanilla extract. This type of synthetic vanilla is produced from a chemical compound called vanillin. It’s a naturally occurring organic compound with the molecular formula C8H8O3. In nature, it contributes to the flavor of vanilla bean pods and may be found as a white dust or frost on cured vanilla beans. Manufacturers discovered that they could also make synthetic versions of the compound by reacting phenolic aldehydes with cyanobacteria. Two of these synthetic compounds, ethyl vanilla flavor and methyl vanilla flavor, are used as substitutes for natural vanilla extract in some foods.
It’s not uncommon for the word “vanilla” to be replaced on an ingredients list with a chemical called cyclotetramethylene oxide (CMO). This synthetic compound is similar to natural vanilla extract, but it doesn’t carry the same health risks as the real thing.
