How is vanilla flavouring made?

Puddings, tarts, biscuits, yoghurts, custards... Vanilla is one of the most widely used spices in pastry-making, and even in cooking, as it can be incorporated wonderfully into savoury preparations. However, as vanilla beans are very expensive, individuals and professionals are increasingly turning to vanilla flavouring. We explain how it is made!

A few drops of vanilla food flavouring are enough to give your recipes a delicious vanilla taste - woody, fruity, caramelised or even buttery depending on the recipe. There are several types of vanilla flavourings on the market, all of which are governed by clear legislation on the subject. At the European level, food flavourings are regulated by the "Flavouring Regulation (EC) No. 1334/2008. The latter defines them as products "used to improve or modify the odour and/or taste of food for the benefit of the consumer". The text also specifies that "the use of flavourings should not mislead the consumer; therefore, their presence in foods should always be indicated by appropriate labelling. In particular, flavourings should not be used in such a way as to mislead the consumer as to the nature, freshness and quality of the ingredients used, the naturalness of a product or its manufacturing process or the nutritional quality of the product. So here are some tips on how to decipher your vanilla flavouring labels so you know what you are putting in your food.

Vanilla flavouring

With today's industrial methods, flavourists are able to reproduce an impressive range of flavours in a chemical way. Thus, the term "vanilla flavouring" simply means that flavourists have reproduced the taste of vanilla using flavouring substances that are not obtained naturally.

Natural vanilla flavouring

If your flavouring says 'natural', it means that the molecules in the flavouring are derived from natural products - but not necessarily from vanilla itself. Natural vanilla flavouring is then a composition of several natural flavouring substances. Indeed, several molecules that make up the distinctive taste of vanilla are found in other products, which can be combined to create the final taste of vanilla. Vanillin, a major component of vanilla, is found in many products such as turmeric, cloves and rice bran. In this case, we are dealing with a natural raw material which is not vanilla, but which remains of natural origin, not chemically composed in a laboratory.

Natural vanilla flavouring

When we speak of natural DE flavouring, it means that at least 95% of the flavouring is derived from the raw material, and the remaining 5% is made up of other natural sources. In the case of vanilla, at least 95% of the natural vanilla flavour must come from the raw material vanilla, i.e. the beans. For this reason, natural vanilla flavours are made from vanilla extract. Vanilla extract is made through a process called "extraction": vanilla beans are immersed in a solvent made of alcohol and water (a hydroalcoholic solution), in which they will infuse. To make an alcohol-free extract, the vanilla infusion is heated so that the alcohol evaporates, producing a paste. The proportions are subject to strict regulations: in the United States, for example, vanilla extract must contain at least 35% alcohol and 100 grams of vanilla beans per litre. The remaining 5% must also be derived from natural sources, the formulation of which is also strictly regulated: flavourists cannot reproduce the taste of the 95% with this 5%. This part of the flavouring can only confer a typicality, giving fresher, spicy, biscuity, buttery or milky notes to the original vanilla. Vanilla must be the first flavour to be recognised, even if its aromatic profile can be worked on. At Nerolian, two natural vanilla flavours are offered for sale: an organic, alcohol-free natural vanilla flavour and a natural vanilla flavour.