 |
|
| Consumer Trends |
|
| All about Vanilla: The World's Most Popular Flavor |
|
Vanilla is the world’s most popular flavor. Its sweet, fruity, and floral attributes combined with a deep, aromatic body make it unique and universally favored. Historically, world consumption of vanilla beans was around 2,000 metric tons, of which the U.S. consumed about 70 percent. With recent price increases, world consumption is down due to reformulations where extract is eliminated, replaced or reduced. Impact on consumption of still uncertain, however, estimates of 30 -40% volume loss is common. Vanilla continues to be the number one flavor for ice cream in the U.S. and Europe.
Vanilla is an epiphytic* and climbing orchid native to the tropical region of Mexico. The flavoring material is obtained from dry, cured pod-like fruits commercially called “beans.” The flavor is developed during a very lengthy (five to nine months) curing process. From the more than 110 species that have been described, only V. planifolia and V. tahitensis are permitted for food use. V. planifolia is commercially more important than V. tahitensis because of its flavor attributes. V. tahitensis beans are perfumey and contain anisyl alcohol, anisyl aldehyde, and anisic acid that are absent in V. planifolia.
Madagascar and Indonesia are the two major vanilla producing countries of V.planfolia while V. tahitensis is grown primarily in Tahiti. The small island countries of Madagascar, Comoros, and Réunion off the east coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean are the source of the premium quality beans, known as Bourbon. In the U.S., there is a regulated standard of identity for vanilla, which dictates that only properly cured beans of V. planifolia Andrews and V. tahitensis Moore can be used in food. It also stipulates the solvent for extraction (aqueous ethanol), the amount of beans (13.35 oz.) to be used per gallon of the solvent, and level of the ethanol in the extract, as well as the optional ingredients that can be used for extraction.
IFF is a major Vanilla extract producer, and like any other vanilla company, we buy the majority of our beans from Madagascar and Indonesia. However, it is difficult to control the way the beans are grown and cured and as a result, there is a considerable lack of consistency in the quality, supply, and cost of the beans. For example, the bean volume in Madagascar and Indonesia has been varying by a factor of two to four and the price of the beans has been varying by a factor of ten or more.
To achieve consistency in supply and quality as well as to ensure full compliance with the U.S. and European regulations, IFF initiated a vanilla program in India in 1990. An intensive, broad range research program was undertaken over the last 10 years, including an extensive germplasm collection; DNA fingerprinting to identify the right genotypes; extensive green house and curing studies; various horticultural studies, including establishing eco-friendly methods to control diseases; and organic growing. A plantation was established in India, partnering with another company, as well as an accelerated curing plant at IFF India that can significantly reduce curing time and create a more uniform and predictable process . The beans cured using this method are consistent in quality and have high vanillin content.
“The IFF vanilla program gives us full control from plant to plantation to curing to extraction,” said Research Fellow T.V. John, who has been working on the vanilla program since its inception. “This has many advantages including high-quality vanillin beans, consistent quality, product integrity, and possibility of curing for a customized flavor profile. As the yield from this program increases, the above features are expected to give definite business advantages—‘point of difference‘—over the competition.”
* Epiphytic plants grow on other plants; however, they are not parasitic, as they produce their own food by photosynthesis.
|
|
|
|
