More than ninety-five percent of vanilla-flavored foods are made with artificial vanilla. While natural vanilla comes from the vanilla bean, artificial vanilla is derived from some very unusual sources. Over the years, scientists have been able to extract artificial vanilla flavoring from paper waste, coal tar, and even cow manure! Whereas natural vanilla has many health benefits, some forms of artificial vanilla can actually be bad for you. So how can you tell the difference? Sometimes natural vanilla can leave dark specks in food. But a lot of the time, you can't tell the difference just by looking. You can't always tell by tasting, either. Artificial and natural vanilla often taste the same when used in baked goods. When in doubt, always check the package label.
So, more than ninety-five percent of vanilla-flavored foods use artificial vanilla, which is derived from unconventional sources like paper waste, coal tar, and cow manure. While natural vanilla has health benefits, some forms of artificial vanilla can be harmful. Differentiating between the two can be challenging as natural vanilla may leave dark specks in food, but otherwise, it may be difficult to distinguish by appearance or taste alone. It is recommended to check the package label to ensure the use of natural vanilla.
