Vanillins – Fast Analysis

Introduction

Vanilla is a natural flavouring derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla and is one of the most widely used flavouring ingredients in foods and beverages. The cultivation and processing of vanilla is very labour- intensive because the flowers are hand-pollinated and the pods are hand-picked. Vanilla extract is produced by splitting and soaking the vanilla pods in a mixture of water and ethanol. As a result of the production process, and of the relatively low production volumes world-wide, vanilla is considered the second most expensive spice in the world after saffron.