Natural vanilla extract: deciphering labels

From a purely regulatory point of view, vanilla extracts are flavoring preparations. The ISO 9235:2013 standard on natural aromatic raw materials defines what a vanilla extract is. It is the result of extraction from a single fresh natural material using solvents. Don’t panic, the solvent is far from being a toxic product, as the collective unconscious might imagine… It could be alcohol, for example! This is particularly true of NOROHY Bourbon vanilla extract. Made from 100% vanilla, it is obtained by macerating vanilla beans in successive baths of alcohol.

In France, the term ” vanilla extract ” implies that the flavor extraction process is carried out using a natural material: vanilla. Thus, a natural vanilla extract is a redundant term. This claim is considered abusive, since it insinuates a distinction from ultimately similar extracts. Manufacturers are aware of the regulations in force and must apply them. This is why all vanilla extracts are systematically natural vanilla extracts.

Similarly, vanilla extract is a specific form of natural vanilla flavor. This category includes all flavors whose aromatic power comes from at least 95% of the natural compound described, in this case vanilla. These flavors are obtained by extraction or other processes. A natural flavor can derive its vanilla scent from other natural compounds. For example, natural flavors with a vanilla scent may derive their aroma from cloves or rice bran. The resulting molecule is the same, of natural origin, but derived from different plants. Finally, this is in contrast to chemically obtained synthetic flavors, which could only be called “vanilla flavoring”. To sum up, here’s an infographic distinguishing these different denominations.

Of course, vanilla beans are a must in the ingredient list of a vanilla extract. They are mentioned in the form of oleoresin. This is a vanilla concentrate obtained by extraction from vanilla beans. Vanilla beans are the ingredient used to extract the aromas to obtain this famous vanilla concentrate or oleoresin, and are therefore not directly included in the vanilla extract ingredient list.

By convention, manufacturers indicate the weight of vanilla beans used to obtain one liter ofvanilla extract. NOROHY, for example, uses 200g of beans to obtain one liter of extract. We use certified organic Bourbon vanilla beans from Madagascar. The regulations do not specify the quality of the vanilla beans used. Some manufacturers claim a very high weight of vanilla beans used… So take a look at the quality of the beans… Are they used up or not? Doubling the weight of exhausted beans does not equal the aromatic intensity and quality of an extract made from refined beans. What’s more, an aroma obtained from depleted beans could not be called “vanilla extract“. Indeed, this denomination implies working with a natural material. But depleted beans are no longer natural materials. In fact, they are processed products.

Most vanilla extracts are sweet. The oleoresin is so concentrated that it would be difficult to dose. By diluting it in cane sugar syrup, it is much simpler to use. NOROHY, a bold and committed brand, has chosen organic cane sugar for its extract. Neutral in fragrance, it reveals the gourmand notes of vanilla.

Very few ingredients (other than vanilla, of course) are authorized for the extraction of vanilla flavors. These include water, ethanol and isopropanol. No other solvent may be used to extract flavors from vanilla beans. Extraction is carried out by maceration of the vanilla in successive baths of one of these ingredients, followed by decantation, evaporation and filtration. However, it should be noted that these ingredients do not enter into the final composition of vanilla extracts. In fact, these solvents are necessary to obtain the oleoresin (vanilla extract). As a result, the ingredients list only mentions oleoresin.

As you can see, deciphering and reading a natural vanilla extract label takes some doing. In this article, you’ve learned to be vigilant about the quality of the beans used, the claims, the list of ingredients, the vanillin content and the labels displayed.