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Artificial Versus Natural Vanillin
It is the position of the TTB that vanillin from vanilla beans is natural. In addition to vanillin from vanilla beans, the Nonbeverage Products Laboratory has received notification from the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the fermentation process for the manufacture of vanillin as submitted to them by the following companies for the specifically-identified product has been determined to be a natural process resulting in a natural product.
This applies only to the specific process submitted by companies listed above and not to any other processes for the production of vanillin. For further information, please contact the FDA.
All other sources (clove, turmeric, lignin, eugenol) are considered artificial and should be labeled accordingly on TTB Form 5154.1.