The Secret Truth Behind Food Flavorings

The food we eat today contains more complex combinations of flavors and ingredients than ever before, and the food industry, like any business, needs to keep on its toes to stay at the forefront. This often means creating new combinations of flavors to trick our senses and ensnare customers. This has led to some businesses using a range of rather questionable ingredients to meet their targets.

Just take vanilla, one of the most widely used flavors in the food industry. Originally the flavor came from vanilla orchid, but food scientists figured out a way to artificially create a cheaper lab-based alternative. However, various ingredients have been used in the past, including the anal gland secretions of a beaver and coal tar to name a couple.

Check out the infographic below to explore more interesting ingredients.

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Infographic courtesy The Greenhouse People.