Use less vanilla but don’t give it up, producers told

Vanilla bean prices have increased by as much as 10 times compared with just five years ago, but Rachel Fordham – dairy, desserts and beverages sales manager at ingredients supplier Cornelius said there were indications of a good flowering season this year, which will result in prices levelling towards the end of the year, and a decrease in 2017.

“There are a number of things that food manufacturers are being tempted to do because of the high cost,”​ said Fordham.

“One is to drop vanilla from their ingredients list altogether, another is to start using synthetic vanilla as opposed to natural, and the third is to stockpile for fear that prices will continue to rise.”​

Use less vanilla​

However, Fordham urged food producers to simply use less vanilla rather than cutting it out completely.

“Manufacturers should be aware that price increases in the cost of vanilla flavours and extracts has very little impact on the overall cost of a finished product, for the very reason that the dosage of vanilla used is very small in comparison to other ingredients within a product,”​ she said.

Particularly concerning is the switch some manufacturers are making from natural to synthetic vanilla, Fordham claimed.

Food applications, and ice cream in particular, are sensitive to this change, and it’s very noticeable, she suggested.

Clean-label trend​

“With natural ingredients and clean-labelling trending, manufacturers should also bear in mind that consumers are increasingly conscious of non-natural ingredients,”​ Fordham added.