Derived naturally from vanilla beans it has been produced from other sources as well. It is widely occurs in nature; it has been reported in the essential oil of Java citronella, in benzoin, Peru balsam, clove bud oil, and chiefly vanilla pods.
At present, only o.2 percent of this compound is extracted from beans (Vanilla planifolia) and the remainder is produced synthetically in the world flavor market.
In flavor formulations, vanillin is used widely either as a sweetener or as a flavor enhancer, not only in imitation vanilla flavor, but also in butter, chocolate and all types of fruit flavors, root beer, cream soda, etc.
Vanilla ice cream is used to make milkshakes, sundaes, floats and other types of desserts such as cakes or pies.
Ice cream and chocolate are among the largest outlets for vanillin in the food and confectionary industries, and their consumption is many times greater than that of the perfume and fragrance industry.
Vanilla flavor has ignited the imagination and interest of many scientists for many decades. The growing awareness for natural products has increased the demand for natural vanillin.
Vanillin as food flavor
