Bereits seit Jahren nutzt Symrise die Isotopenverhältnis-Massenspektrometrie (IRMS) zur Authentizitätsbestimmung von Vanille. Um die Möglichkeiten der Differenzierung von Vanillin-Qualitäten weiter zu verbessern, wurde eine zusätzliche IRMS-basierte Methode etabliert.

Vanilla is the best-known and most popular flavour in the world and the second most expensive spice after saffron. The prices for real vanilla are currently at an all-time high. Customers pay USD 550 to 600 for one kilogram of black vanilla beans.

Vanilla extracts and isolated vanillin are also used as important flavour components in addition to the pods of the vanilla orchid themselves. Therefore, comprehensive quality controls are needed for products made from this plant. By employing these controls, Symrise company not only meets the increasing demand of customers for certification of authenticity but it also complies with national regulations.

Depending on the product and its position in the supply and value chain, different methods are used for quality control and to provide proof of authenticity. If plant material is being examined, for example, this can be done by DNA analysis. On the other hand, commercially used vanillin can be differentiated in terms of its origin and production method using isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Symrise has already been using IRMS for years to verify authenticity. Recently, an extended IRMS method was established to further enhance the process of differentiating quality levels of vanillin. Details on the complete approach have been published by Symrise in the Flavour and Fragrance Journal: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ffj.3379/full.

After integration of all available spectroscopic data using a statistical approach, the results enable a significantly improved differentiation of vanillin from critical provenances. This allows, for example, to differentiate vanillin that was produced naturally from eugenol from synthetic vanillin derived from lignin or curcumin. This approach highly improves the quality and authenticity verification for vanilla products and sets new standards through which the needs of Symrise customers can be met in this discerning market segment both now and in the future.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ffj.3379/full.