I Scream, Ice Cream… but what is that taste!?! Castoreum?!

That taste… well most likely, that is Castoreum.

Have you heard of it?

Probably not… because it’s often called (or disguised as) ‘natural flavouring’ on food labels.

Vanilla is another word… I’m sure you’ve heard of this one. But not all vanilla products come from the vanilla pod!

Back to Castoreum again… it’s used to create a ‘vanilla flavour’ for coffees, dairy products and desserts, especially vanilla ice cream.

But what is Castoreum?

Castoreum is a fragrant secretion obtained (how did anyone find this out) from the anal glands of beavers!!

Beaver Butt Juice Latte just doesn’t sound as good does it. That’s why they call it ‘vanilla flavor’ or ‘nature identical flavoring’.

But don’t worry, not all ‘vanilla flavoring’ is anal leakage!

They also use 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde to make a vanilla flavor too.

This crystalline, whitish powder is used to create ‘vanillin’… it’s cheaper and more efficiently made than beaver butt juice.

But what is Vanillin made from…?

Vanillin is made from ‘lookalike molecules’ that come from the petrochemical industry!

They use a molecule called Guaiacol… the main source of guaiacol is derived from coal tar or creosote.

But now there is a new way…

In 2021 scientists found a new way to create artificial vanilla flavour… this new process uses E. Coli Bacteria to convert plastic into Vanillin!

Yum!

First they break down PET plastic into Terephthalic Acid, then a bacteria transforms this acid into Vanillin.

Warning: ‘Natural’ is a marketing term that can be added to a huge variety of very questionable things, when we say Natural we mean…

Natural Organic Vanilla Pods

Vanilla pods are the elongated fruits of the vanilla orchid.

These pods contain tiny black seeds that are the source of their intense warm aroma and sweet vanilla flavour.

It’s natural (real natural), tastes yummy and comes with loads of health benefits (and NO toxic side effects).

You are what you eat. Your skeleton is about 11 years old, muscles 2 to 3 months old, skin 3 to 4 weeks old and your taste buds about 9 days old.

Your body is constantly replacing itself… But from what?

Beaver Butt Juice and petrochemicals… or organic food. You choose.

Eating Castoreum/Petrochemical FREE Ice Cream

ALL the ice creams we serve at the Garden of Dreams are FREE from Castoreum and petrochemicals…

At the Garden of Dreams, we believe in nourishing both body and soul.

We aim to offer our guests the purest and most wholesome dining experience, free from harmful pesticides and artificial additives… and sourcing as much Organic Certified produce as possible.

Check out a FULL list of our current 100% Organic ingredients: Certified Organic

Read More Garden of Dreams Blog Posts