Use castoreum, a natural flavoring, in strawberry or vanilla-flavored dishes.
However, it is not a synthetic plant, nor is it a special-sounding one. It is the term for the discharge from the beaver’s anal ricin sacs. In addition to food, this ingredient has been used in soaps and medicines for millennia. However, “castoreum” is not a listed ingredient in strawberry syrup or ice cream. It often falls into the “natural flavoring” category.
Using beaver pouch secretions for flavored vanilla
But you don’t have to worry about consuming large amounts of castoreum without realizing it. “The long historical use of castor bean extract as a flavoring and fragrance ingredient has not resulted in any reports of adverse reactions in humans,” the FDA said, saying it is safe. However, companies avoid it for many reasons. It prevents their items from being approved as kosher. More importantly, using discarded beaver bags is expensive.
“You need tons and tons of material to work with in the flavor industry,” says University of Minnesota chemist Gary Reineccius. “It’s not like you can raise beavers in fields and harvest them. There are a few of them. As a result, it’s a very expensive product that food corporations don’t like very much.”
“proud to be Castoreum”
In a similar vein, Michelle Francl of Bryn Mawr College assures the public that due to the high cost, there is no possibility of any form of beaver excrement getting into food. Especially unlike large crops that can be grown and harvested such as vanilla orchids.
On the other hand, consumers can use castoreum in specialty goods such as the Swedish liqueur baversnaps. In some cases, a special element is sold with pride. The material is obtained by capturing, killing, and then grinding the popped glands from beavers.
Castorum is extracted with alcohol using a process that is similar to the process of extracting vanilla from plants.
Use in medicine
Unexpectedly, this sac discharge has historically been used as a flexible treatment. It was put into soaps and lotions and used to treat fevers, mental illness, and upset stomachs. Cigarettes contained it for a time to intensify the lovely smell.
Salicylic acid, the component of aspirin that causes pain, is present in castor oil. Despite how disgusting its source may sound, this material has applications.
At the height of the fur trade that nearly wiped out the beaver population in North America and Eurasia, castoreum was discovered. The species was threatened with extinction in the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe and North America.
How beavers use their prey
Excreting pouches naturally directly benefits the beaver. They use it to mark their territory, although it is often the responsibility of the males in the family. Since the aroma of each beaver pouch is different, they also use it to identify family members. The chemicals make their fur and tails slippery and waterproof.
Is it safe to eat vanilla ice cream?
The pleasant vanilla scent comes from their diet of leaves, bark, and other wildlife fragments. However, you should not be alarmed if your food contains castoreum hidden under the benign-sounding term “natural flavorings”.
“If food companies can find something else to replace vanilla or create a strawberry flavor, they will,” Reineccius says.
“It’s not too hard to create a basic strawberry flavor that you would recognize with just two compounds.”
Castoreum, despite its unusual origins, is a natural aroma derived from beaver anal pouches. Historically, it has been used in a variety of applications from food to medicine, although it is rarely found in modern food products due to its high cost and the complexity involved in its extraction. Castorum is considered safe by the FDA and has a long history of use with no adverse effects reported in humans. However, because it is expensive and difficult to obtain, it is often replaced by more affordable and readily available flavoring alternatives.
In the food industry, castoreum is unlikely to be present in mass-produced products and is generally used in specialized or specialty items. For example, some craft liqueurs may proudly contain it, but it is not a common part of everyday foods like vanilla ice cream or strawberry syrup. The aroma industry has developed several synthetic and natural alternatives that are more cost-effective and practical for mass production.
Overall, while the concept of castor may be off-putting to some, its use in food is minimal and heavily regulated. The availability of cheaper synthetic flavors means consumers can enjoy their favorite flavors without worry. If you see “natural flavorings” on the label, it is more likely to be a mixture of other natural or synthetic ingredients than castoreum itself.