Have you ever wondered what gives your vanilla ice cream or strawberry syrup its delicious flavor? While most of us assume these flavors come from natural sources like fruits or vanilla beans, there’s a surprising ingredient that might have made its way into your food without you realizing it. It’s called castoreum, and it doesn’t come from a plant or a lab—it comes from beavers.
Castoreum is a secretion obtained from the castor sacs near the anal glands of beavers. Historically, it has been used in perfumes, medicines, and even certain foods. However, you won’t find “castoreum” listed on ingredient labels. Instead, it’s often hidden under the term “natural flavorings.”
The good news is that the amount of castoreum used in food production is minimal and considered safe by the FDA. In fact, it has been used as a flavoring and fragrance additive for decades without any known health risks. However, its use in food is rare today due to several reasons. For one, harvesting castoreum is labor-intensive and expensive. Additionally, it prevents products from being certified as kosher, which limits its appeal to food manufacturers.
Flavor scientist Gary Reineccius from the University of Minnesota explains that castoreum is impractical for large-scale food production. “You can’t farm beavers for their secretions,” he says. “It’s just not feasible.” Instead, food companies often turn to more accessible and cost-effective alternatives to create flavors like vanilla or strawberry.
While castoreum might sound unusual, it has a long history of use beyond food. It has been used in traditional medicine to treat ailments like stomach disorders and fevers, and even in cosmetics like soaps and lotions. Interestingly, it contains salicylic acid, the same compound found in aspirin, which has pain-relieving properties.
So, should you be worried about finding castoreum in your food? Probably not. As Reineccius points out, “Food companies will use anything else to create flavors if they can.” In other words, your vanilla ice cream is safe—and likely free of beaver secretions.
