Authenticity and Traceability of Vanilla Flavors by Analysis of Stable Isotopes of Carbon and Hydrogen

Authenticity and traceability of vanilla flavors were investigated using gas chromatography–isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC–IRMS). Vanilla flavors produced by chemical synthesis (n = 2), fermentation (n = 1), and extracted from two different species of the vanilla orchid (n = 79) were analyzed. The authenticity of the flavor compound vanillin was evaluated on the basis of measurements of ratios of carbon stable isotopes (δ13C). It was found that results of δ13C for vanillin extracted from Vanilla planifolia and Vanilla tahitensis were significantly different (t test) and that it was possible to differentiate these two groups of natural vanillin from vanillin produced otherwise. Vanilla flavors were also analyzed for ratios of hydrogen stable isotopes (δ2H). A graphic representation of δ13C versus δ2H revealed that vanillin extracted from pods grown in adjacent geographic origins grouped together. Accordingly, values of δ13C and δ2H can be used for studies of authenticity and traceability of vanilla fl...