Vanillin is the substance that gives vanilla its characteristic taste and aroma. In dietary supplements, vanillin belongs to the group of flavouring agents used to give the supplement a pleasant smell and/or taste.
Vanillin is extracted from the seeds of the vanilla plant (Vanilla planifolia), a tropical orchid. The seeds, which are steamed and dried, contain a very extensive complex of compounds, of which vanillin is the most prominent.
The demand for vanilla flavour has long exceeded the available supply of vanilla seeds. This is one of the reasons why it is also produced synthetically. The synthetic version of vanillin is called ethyl vanillin and is stronger in taste than real vanilla. Synthetic vanillin is well researched and approved in a daily dosage as high as 3mg per kg body weight.
Pharma Nord uses ethyl vanillin, which is produced using a fermentation process.
