Vanillin, with the chemical formula C8H8O3, is the world’s most used flavoring agent in food and beverages. It is the vanilla extract alternative that provides a similar smell and taste of vanilla extract. It is both naturally occurring and synthetically produced.

Besides derived from vanilla bean, there are another two types of vanillin available on the market: the artificial one made from chemical synthesis (share more than 90% market) and the natural one comes from biosynthesis.

Vanillin is a pure ingredient, while vanilla extract is a natural product composed of more than 200 compounds and vanillin is the primary component in it.

Vanilla bean or vanilla pod is the edible fruit and the commercial part of the orchid family. There are more than 150 varieties of vanilla orchids that grow around the world, but only Vanilla planifolia and Vanilla tahitensis are used commercially.