The long and complex production process means that the volume and quality of vanilla produced in any one year is highly variable with the weather playing a critical role. Thus, the price of natural vanilla flavours and extracts may also vary widely. However, the strict cultivation conditions and long period of time needed to reach maturity means that the production is inflexible and additional volume cannot be produced from one region to meet the low yield of another producer. This situation is unsatisfactory for any raw material and especially so for something as crucial as vanilla, which is an essential ingredient in a number of global products, for example ice cream. This has led to the production of synthetic vanillin that can be used to supplement vanilla extracts, or may be used alone to provide vanilla-like flavours.
Synthetic vanillin is produced on a huge scale and is traded as a commodity chemical.
The main routes for production are from lignin, obtained from the cellulose industry, e.g. paper manufacturing, and from guaiacol. However, the use of vanillin produced by these methods means that the flavours are no longer classified as natural and, in fact, significant amounts of effort have gone into the detection of illegally doctored vanilla extracts supplemented with synthetic vanillin. In addition, flavours based on synthetic vanillin are often harsh and lack the smooth, rich and creamy character of those including natural vanilla components. The obvious solution to these issues is to develop a manufacturing process that produces natural vanillin but does not rely on the vanilla bean. Unfortunately, vanilla plants do not produce the required flavour molecules directly but naturally produce precursors that are transformed during the curing process.