French authorities discover widespread vanilla scam

France’s Director-General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs, and Fraud Control undertook a years-long investigation to determine if vanilla sold on the market was authentic, reported Food Ingredients First. They found that 25% of vanilla products did not comply with regulations.

Per pound, vanilla is one of the most expensive commonly used ingredients, with a current price of around $170 per pound of vanilla beans. It’s the world’s second most expensive spice after saffron, but weather volatility over the last few years caused global shortages of vanilla, periodically raising the price past even saffron.

Authentic vanilla is expensive because it is one of the most labor-intensive crops to produce. Vanilla beans come from the Vanilla planifolia orchid, and each plant must be hand-pollinated during a short flowering period. The orchids only grow in a small geographic area 10 to 20 degrees north and south of the equator. 75% of all the world’s vanilla comes from Madagascar, with the rest grown in Mexico and Tahiti.

The French investigation found that fraudulent vanilla-like substances were being passed off as authentic vanilla in up to one in four cases. As a result, French authorities issued numerous warnings and fines to vanilla producers, importers, distributors, and retailers. 

To prevent fraud, consumers should pay attention to where their vanilla is sourced. Vanilla distributors such as Eurovanille or Flavorganics provide reputable and transparent sourcing for their vanilla products.

Link to the full article here.


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