Vanillin is a phenolic aldehyde, which is an organic compound with the molecular formula C8H8O3.
Its functional groups include aldehyde, hydroxyl, and ether. It is the primary component of the extract of the vanilla bean. Synthetic vanillin is now used more often than natural vanilla extract as a flavoring agent in foods, beverages, and pharmaceuticals.
Vanillin and ethylvanillin are used by the food industry; ethylvanillin is more expensive but has a stronger note. It differs from vanillin by having an ethoxy group (–O–CH2CH3) instead of a methoxy group (–O–CH3).
It appears as white or creamy-white needle-like crystals and sublimes when heated.
Natural "vanilla extract" is a mixture of several hundred different compounds in addition to vanillin. Artificial vanilla flavoring is often a solution of pure vanillin, usually of synthetic origin. Because of the scarcity and expense of natural vanilla extract, synthetic preparation of its predominant component has long been of interest. The first commercial synthesis of vanillin began with the more readily available natural compound eugenol (4-allyl-2-methoxyphenol). Today, artificial vanillin is made either from guaiacol or lignin.
Lignin-based artificial vanilla flavoring is alleged to have a richer flavor profile than oil-based flavoring; the difference is due to the presence of acetovanillone, a minor component in the lignin-derived product that is not found in vanillin synthesized from guaiacol.
The use of the word “Vanilla” is more or less forced, and not very descriptive since today so many people are living without ever seeing or smelling a Vanilla bean (pod). The “Vanilla” in their mind, is actually derived from a Vanillin-flavored product (Chocolate, ice-cream, etc.) and it is not surprising that the Vanillin smells of vanillin.
A typical example of the human deficiency in odor description: smelling highly diluted Vanillin is “Chocolate”, often the first reaction to the odor of Vanillin.
However, the “creamy” effect of Vanillin in trace amounts in perfumes is rather typical.
Higher proportions often cause sickening sweetness and very conspicuous notes in the dry down (terminal odor).
📂 CAS N° 121-33-5
⚖️ MW — 152.15 g/mol
📝 Odor Type — Gourmands
📈 Odor Strength —
👃🏼 Odor Profile — Sweet, sugary, powdery, burned (phenolic), almonds, spicy. Intensely sweet and very tenacious creamy Vanilla-like odor.
👅 Flavor Profile — The taste is generally sweet, but it depends greatly upon the base. Vanillin for flavor purposes is often evaluated in ice-cold milk, sweetened with about 12% sugar. Concentration of 50ppm in this medium is clearly perceptible and will not fatigue the evaluator.
⚗️ Uses — As a companion to the conventional “crystals” in ordinary perfume formulations, Vanillin is very widely used, It is practically always the smaller (amount) of crystalline materials, but the frequency of its use, combined with its enormous use in flavors, making it one of the largest volume, crystalline aroma-chemicals. Its intense sweetness is utilized in industrial masking odors and in high-cost luxury perfumes, and it can be used in almost any type of fragrance, from woody or herbaceous to Oriental or floral.
As a result of the volume of Vanillin produced, considerable research has been spent on perfecting the material, and it is one of the purest perfume and flavor chemicals – from a chemical point of view. While Vanillin has been improved, so has many raw materials for the functional products. And this may be part of the reason why Vanillin is no longer the considerable “hazard” in a soap perfume as it was ten or twenty years ago. The soap has been vastly improved, and so has Vanillin. It does not discolor a soap today to the degree it would have done in soap 20 years ago. this should not be translated so that Vanillin is not an “offender” in a soap perfume. It still is, but just not a very serious one.
As a masking agent for numerous types of ill-smelling, mass-produced industrial products, particularly those of synthetic rubber, plastic or fiberglass, etc., Vanillin finds very extensive use. It is often the most inexpensive material for the amount of masking effect it gives. Crude Vanillin is acceptable for such purposes.
In flavor compositions, Vanillin is used widely as a sweetener, not only in Vanilla imitation flavor but in Butter, Chocolate, all types of fruit and tutti-frutti flavors, root- beer, “Cream-soda” etc. It is acceptable at widely different levels of concentration, and while 50 to 1000 ppm is quite normal levels in the above types of product (finished products) concentration up to 20,000 ppm (one part in fifty parts of finished goods) are also used for direct consumption (toppings, icings, etc.). Ice-cream and Chocolate are among the largest outlets for Vanillin in the food and candy industries, and their consumption is many times larger than that of the perfume industry.