![]() * What is the alcohol content? Usually the synthetics range from no alcohol to about 2% alcohol (which acts as a stabilizer). If it's truly amber-colored it may be natural vanilla. It may also be dark because it contains red dye that we've banned in the U.S. It's often called "crystal vanilla." Dark and murky is synthetic vanillin, most likely ethyl vanillin derived from coal tar. * Is it amber colored, dark and murky, or clear? Clear is pure, synthetic vanillin. How do you know if it's pure vanilla? There are a few tip-offs: Needless to say, synthetic vanillas are a big industry as most tourists have no idea they are being duped and it's an easy product to sell. So, don't count on the label for an accurate account of the ingredients. "Although there are label laws in Mexico they aren't enforced in some of the other countries there are no restrictions. So, if you get your Mexican vanilla from Mexico, be wary and remember you can't always rely on labels. ![]() This synthetic vanilla has coumarin in it and is still sold there today. To save face, vanilla farmers there started producing a synthetic vanilla and passing it off as the real thing. In the 20th century, the Mexican vanilla crops were all but destroyed during the Mexican Revolution. I read three of the articles, and they all pretty much said the same thing. Apparently this has been shown to cause liver damage, and the FDA has outlawed it in the US. Well, the first few results that Google produced led to pages with warnings about an ingredient called Coumarin. I've been seeing a lot of references to Mexican vanilla recently and decided to do a google search to see if I could find a place in the States that sells it. ![]() Some of you may already know about this, but it was news to me, and I though it was worth sharing.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |