Vanillin in Milk Powder: Regulated Use

The Shanghai Regulatory Bureau issued an administrative penalty against Abbott Trading (Shanghai) Co. The penalties included confiscation of goods, confiscation of illegal income of 3,437,400 yuan and a fine of 9,093,100 yuan.

Abbott's official response stated that the penalty was due to the detection of very small amounts of vanillin in a batch of Abbott Platinum formula by the State Administration of Market Supervision in December 2020. Although a small amount of vanillin is not harmful to infant health, the National Standard for the Use of Food Additives in Food Safety stipulates that no food flavoring shall be added to infant formula for 0-6 months, and vanillin and ethyl vanillin may be used in formula for older infants and children.

According to the regulatory authority's explanation, vanillin is widely used in various flavored foods that need to increase the aroma of milk. It has not been found to have any harm to human beings. When used in accordance with the standard requirements, it will not cause harm to human health. However, large intake can cause dizziness, nausea and other symptoms, causing liver and kidney damage.

"We attach great importance to this, immediately take the initiative to carry out a recall action and actively cooperate with relevant government departments to complete the recall of all batches of products stored in the market." Abbott said that if consumers need to return or exchange the products, they can call the official service hotline for consultation, and the company will actively and properly handle related matters.

The vanillin detected in Abbott's milk powder this time was only 171.6μg/kg, equivalent to 0.00001716%, much lower than the amount added in general flavors. Abbott's official response said that it was contamination of the production line, which is the same production line that previously produced products containing vanillin.

As to why the batch of milk powder in question contains vanillin, Abbott explained that "no addition" and that the very small amount of vanillin detected was due to the vanillin-containing products previously produced in the batch. Abbott also stressed that according to the World Health Organization (WHO) estimation method, the detection of vanillin in the batch of products involved is highly unlikely to pose a food safety risk.

What is vanillin

Vanillin is an organic compound with the molecular formula C₈H₈O₃. It is a phenolic aldehyde. Its functional groups include aldehyde, hydroxyl and ether. It is the main component of vanilla bean extract. Synthetic vanillin is now more commonly used as a flavoring agent in foods, beverages and pharmaceuticals than natural vanilla extracts.

Vanillin and ethyl vanillin are used in the food industry; ethyl vanillin is more expensive, but has a stronger note. It differs from vanillin in having ethoxy (-O-CH₂CH₃) rather than methoxy (-O-CH₃).

Vanillin can trigger migraines in a small percentage of migraineurs.

Adverse reactions

Some people have allergic reactions to vanilla. Vanilla can also trigger contact dermatitis, especially in those involved in the vanilla trade. Infants consuming powdered milk containing excessive vanillin levels may become addicted and thus picky eaters.

Applications

In addition to shining in the food industry, vanillin is also used in many industries

In the cosmetic industry, it is used as a flavouring agent in perfumes and creams. 

In the chemical industry as defoamer, vulcanizing agent, chemical precursor; also in analytical assays, e.g. for the detection of amino compounds and certain acids 

In the pharmaceutical industry, as an odor shielding agent. Due to its antibacterial action, vanillin is used as a pharmaceutical intermediate in the pharmaceutical industry, including in the treatment of skin diseases. 

Vanillin has some antioxidant and anti-cancer effects and can be involved in signaling between bacterial cells.

Comprehensive applications will drive the rapid growth of vanillin market demand in the future. In China, vanillin has been produced for more than 50 years, and has become a major country in vanillin production and supply. Follow ZANCHENG to get more information. Our business is related to flavors and fragrance, feed and food additives, pharmaceutical materials, herb extracts etc.