# Beaver anal gland extract ought to appear on food labels **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 3, 2014, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-anal-gland-extract-ought-to-appear-on-food-labels/694736 "2014-08-03T20:08:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-anal-gland-extract-ought-to-appear-on-food-labels/694736/41 "2014-08-04T20:23:24Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Considering that 300 lbs of castoreum are used annually for all purposes, I think the likelihood of getting it in food products is pretty small- the vast majority is used in perfumes. :eek: How many beavers is that? > [@bump](#): > > So looking at it from an economic perspective, how likely is it that you’ll end up with beaver ass flavoring or artificial vanilla made from pine trees? I ain’t rolling them dice. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-anal-gland-extract-ought-to-appear-on-food-labels/694736/42 "2014-08-04T21:02:11Z")
You cannot deny that the product is as ‘all natural’ as you can possibly get. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-anal-gland-extract-ought-to-appear-on-food-labels/694736/43 "2014-08-04T23:29:24Z")
Re Cochineal/Carmine I accidentally drank some at a Dope Fest. I forgot to read the ingredients on a bottle of fruit punch (I don’t remember what brand) before drinking some. I also can’t remember if the label said carmine or cochineal. Regarding Lac Secretions If you see confectioner’s glaze in the ingredients, odds are it’s lac secretion. Sugar Babies, Sugar Daddies, Junior Mints, and most brands of candy corn use lac. Recently, the Union Of Orthodox Rabbis Of America declared lac secretions to be kosher (there’s still debate on the matter. The kosher organizations of Israel, for example, still hold that it ain’t kosher). With OU approval, I can now eat candies containing bug sweat. Re Beaver Secretions If this was a concern, and various cites make me think it isn’t, one could stick to brands that are certified kosher with a recognizable mark. These symbols are trademarked and EXTREMELY well-guarded. If the symbol (called a hesher) is used with permission, then all ingredients and stages in the processing have been thoroughly investigated. If the hesher is used without permission, the offending company is slapped with a lawsuit very quickly indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-anal-gland-extract-ought-to-appear-on-food-labels/694736/44 "2014-08-04T23:31:10Z")
Isn’t beaver anal gland extract a delicacy in France? ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-anal-gland-extract-ought-to-appear-on-food-labels/694736/45 "2014-08-04T23:41:33Z")
It’s an ingredient in many things. A shocking number of people are unaware that it’s made from leftover horns, hooves, and bones. I’m also positive (though I have no cite) that these same animal bits are the source of collagen in certain cosmetics. I remember seeing an ad by one of the big cosmetic companies that their mascara now had added collagen and was more volumizing than ever. Honest. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-anal-gland-extract-ought-to-appear-on-food-labels/694736/46 "2014-08-05T00:38:08Z")
If you stop and think about it, a lot of stuff we eat is pretty weird. I’m not talking out there, like haggis, or Rocky Mountain Oysters. I mean, look at dairy. It’s like, “Hey, I’m just going to go and squeeze those dangly things on the cow and drink whatever comes out!” Or eggs? Who thought it would be a good idea to eat something that popped out of a chicken’s butt?\* However, if you’re looking for the really gross stuff: [9 Horrifying Foods You Won’t Believe People Actually Eat](http://www.cracked.com/article_20709_9-horrifying-foods-you-wont-believe-people-actually-eat.html) [The 6 Most Terrifying Foods in the World](http://www.cracked.com/article_14979_the-6-most-terrifying-foods-in-world.html) [Steve Don’t Eat It](http://www.thesneeze.com/steve-dont-eat-it/) [The Gallery of Regrettable Food](http://lileks.com/institute/gallery/index.html) \*Yes, I know eggs don’t actually come out of their butts. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-anal-gland-extract-ought-to-appear-on-food-labels/694736/47 "2014-08-05T00:55:34Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > That’s the kibosh. I don’t think you would want to put beaver anal gland extract on a collective farming community, but I guess if they were into it… Yeah, I noticed the error later, I have to learn to not follow the English Firefox dictionary recommendations on Hebrew words. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-anal-gland-extract-ought-to-appear-on-food-labels/694736/48 "2014-08-05T01:45:03Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Re Beaver Secretions > > If this was a concern, and various cites make me think it isn’t, one could stick to brands that are certified kosher with a recognizable mark. These symbols are trademarked and EXTREMELY well-guarded. If the symbol (called a hesher) is used with permission, then all ingredients and stages in the processing have been thoroughly investigated. If the hesher is used without permission, the offending company is slapped with a lawsuit very quickly indeed. Are any rodents, like beaver, kosher? I know mice are specifically impure. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-anal-gland-extract-ought-to-appear-on-food-labels/694736/49 "2014-08-05T01:50:59Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Are any rodents, like beaver, kosher? I know mice are specifically impure. Nope. A land animal has to have cloven hooves and chew it’s cud to be kosher. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-anal-gland-extract-ought-to-appear-on-food-labels/694736/50 "2014-08-05T02:11:40Z")
Then no, beaver anal gland juice can never be kosher. I’m loving Hebrew National’s ads selling the goyim on the idea of kosher hot dogs. Hebrew National makes a good dog, and though I’m not Jewish I like that the rabbis are keeping a jaundiced eye on things. Too bad more of ConAgra’s brands aren’t as trustworthy. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-anal-gland-extract-ought-to-appear-on-food-labels/694736/51 "2014-08-05T03:37:38Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > That’s the kibosh. I don’t think you would want to put beaver anal gland extract on a collective farming community, but I guess if they were into it… Maybe _you_ don’t want to, but the beavers do! > [@dracoi](#): > > All I know is that the next time someone complains about artificial vanilla extracted from wood, I now have the perfect, pure, and all-natural substitute to offer them. > > As for the issue of labeling: Look, we can’t put everything on a label. There are people who would want to know whether these are free-range, sustainably produced beavers from the Happy Beaver Farm outside of Seattle, using native beavers with no genetic modification, fed no antibiotics and raised on a totally vegetarian diet. That paragraph is for one ingredient! > > We can’t require food labels to contain ten pages of legalese about the sourcing of every ingredient. It’s just not going to happen. Each little exception might seem significant, but enough of those little things adds up. > > If a person wants to follow some strict diet, then I think they need to own the responsibility for that. Contact the company directly and ask for a statement about the sourcing of their ingredients. If you can’t get a satisfactory answer (after all, companies have the right to use multiple sources, or to keep trade secrets) then you’ll have to decide whether you still want to risk eating the product. Sorry, I’m going to have to slap an argumentum ad absurdum fail on this one for lameness. The ingredient has a one-word name. Putting it on the label doesn’t put us on the slippery slope to Babel. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-anal-gland-extract-ought-to-appear-on-food-labels/694736/52 "2014-08-05T03:39:15Z")
So then don’t eat it. Simple as that. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-anal-gland-extract-ought-to-appear-on-food-labels/694736/53 "2014-08-05T04:00:30Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > Sorry, I’m going to have to slap an argumentum ad absurdum fail on this one for lameness. The ingredient has a one-word name. Putting it on the label doesn’t put us on the slippery slope to Babel. Most folks don’t know what carmine is. If you put “castoreum” on labels, almost nobody would know what it was. It certainly wouldn’t be an adequate warning for your purposes. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-anal-gland-extract-ought-to-appear-on-food-labels/694736/54 "2014-08-05T04:06:11Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Most folks don’t know what carmine is. If you put “castoreum” on labels, almost nobody would know what it was. It certainly wouldn’t be an adequate warning for your purposes. The people who wouldn’t know what “castoreum” was and wouldn’t feel inclined to find the meaning themselves aren’t the people who give a shit if it’s listed on the ingredients in the first place. Consumers who want to be informed will take the initiative to at least understand the information provided them. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-anal-gland-extract-ought-to-appear-on-food-labels/694736/55 "2014-08-05T13:53:19Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > So then don’t eat it. Simple as that. I think you missed the point of the thread. > [@DocCathode](#): > > Most folks don’t know what carmine is. If you put “castoreum” on labels, almost nobody would know what it was. It certainly wouldn’t be an adequate warning for your purposes. What he said. Right now, if it is in any food product, it is a secret. Labeling it puts the ball in the consumers’ court. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-anal-gland-extract-ought-to-appear-on-food-labels/694736/56 "2014-08-05T14:19:32Z")
As consumers, we have the right to know whether there is DNA, RNA, amino acids, antifreeze, monkey pus and beaver anal gland secretions\* in our food. I want it all labeled. And meat - there should be DVDs accompanying every package of sausages so we know how they are made. Information is power. \*I actually don’t mind the beaver anal gland extract, as long as it’s non-GMO. Just keep that DNA out of my food. Next thing you know it’ll incorporate into our genomes and we’ll develop flat tails and beady eyes. On a semi-serious note, it has been proposed that food be extensively bar-coded so that the curious/wary/paranoid can look up what’s in a product using a smartphone or similar device. This would avoid the need for companies to print labels listing every conceivable ingredient, manufacturing process, country of origin etc. This however would not be enough for people whose interest in “open” labeling is to discourage sales of a particular product. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-anal-gland-extract-ought-to-appear-on-food-labels/694736/57 "2014-08-05T14:48:38Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > \*I actually don’t mind the beaver anal gland extract, as long as it’s non-GMO. Just keep that DNA out of my food. Next thing you know it’ll incorporate into our genomes and we’ll develop flat tails and beady eyes. I just realized this solves our global warming/rising sea levels problem. Off to the patent office! ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-anal-gland-extract-ought-to-appear-on-food-labels/694736/58 "2014-08-05T15:24:30Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > Sorry, I’m going to have to slap an argumentum ad absurdum fail on this one for lameness. What’s that supposed to mean? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-anal-gland-extract-ought-to-appear-on-food-labels/694736/59 "2014-08-05T15:54:00Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > I think you missed the point of the thread. > What he said. Right now, if it is in any food product, it is a secret. Labeling it puts the ball in the consumers’ court. All food products with castoreum in American are labeled, since there _are no food products in America with castoreum_. Why are you missing that point? It’s like demanding that _ground up Egyptian Mummy_ must be clearly identified on food labels. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-anal-gland-extract-ought-to-appear-on-food-labels/694736/60 "2014-08-05T16:36:37Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > in practice the chance of getting bad publicity takes care of the issue: > > [Does Vanilla Flavoring Come from Beaver Anal Secretions? | Snopes.com](http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/castoreum.asp) And more importantly its probably a heck of a lot more expensive than other “natural” vanilla flavors. The only way it would make sense economically to see to use it would be as part of a gourmet product, in which case you would probably want to advertise its presence as a select ingredient like [Kopi Luwak](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_Luwak). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-anal-gland-extract-ought-to-appear-on-food-labels/694736.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-anal-gland-extract-ought-to-appear-on-food-labels/694736.md?page=4)