Vanilla
What the research shows
Not enough
published research on this page yet
A spice from the seed pods of orchids.
It gives a signature flavor and aroma to baking, perfume and aromatherapy.1
What research says
How it’s made and used
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Sweetness without sugar2
Vanilla smells sweet to most people, so food scientists wonder if it could keep foods tasting sweet with less sugar.
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Kids' liking of low-sugar desserts3
In taste tests, children liked low-sugar vanilla milk desserts about as much as regular ones.
The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.
Products
The 6 most-scanned of 24,378 products on Open Food Facts that list vanilla.
- Tonik tonik · 22 g 0 additives
- Шоколад 85% какаова маса J. D. GROSS · 125 g 1 additive
- Excellence 85% Cacao Rich Dark Lindt · 100 g 0 additives
- Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa Lindt · 100 g 0 additives
- Dark chocolate GREEN & BLACK'S ORGANIC · 90 g 0 additives
- Organic 70% Dark Chocolate Bar Green & Black's · 90 g 0 additives
References
- 1Vanilla. Wikipedia. Accessed September 26, 2026. CC BY-SA 4.0.
- 2Spence C. Odour hedonics and the ubiquitous appeal of vanilla. Nat Food. 2022;3(10):837-846. doi:10.1038/s43016-022-00611-x
- 3Velázquez AL, Vidal L, Varela P, Ares G. Cross-modal interactions as a strategy for sugar reduction in products targeted at children: Case study with vanilla milk desserts. Food Res Int. 2020;130:108920. doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2019.108920