# Beaver Glands... yummy or not? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 20, 2003, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-glands-yummy-or-not/202746 "2003-09-20T03:19:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![look\_hergo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85e7bf/32.png) [@look\_hergo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_hergo)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-glands-yummy-or-not/202746/1 "2003-09-20T03:19:33Z")
I read somewhere that there is an ingredient used in some fruit sodas (like orange) called “castoreum” that is made from beavers’ sex glands. My husband refuses to believe me. He says it’s not listed in the ingredients, I say it probably comes under the heading of “natural flavors” or something. I wrote to Unca Cece about it, but have yet to hear back. Has anyone else heard this, or am I (and the OU Kosher website) a victim of an urban legend? ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-glands-yummy-or-not/202746/2 "2003-09-20T05:40:17Z")
If you didn’t already know, castoreum really is made from the preputial glands of beavers (the animal, silly). It’s basically beaver smegma. Yum. The FDA lists castoreum under the heading “Certain other spices, seasonings, essential oils, oleoresins, and natural extracts that are generally recognized as safe” so I suppose it might fall under the heading of “natural flavors”. Castoreum is not kosher, so any product identified as being kosher (usually indicated by a U or K in a circle) or parve/pareve will not contain any castoreum. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-glands-yummy-or-not/202746/3 "2003-09-20T06:54:02Z")
Or maybe not. I may be reading it wrong, but the definition of “natural flavor” would seem to exclude castoreum. > [@](#): > > The term natural flavor or natural flavoring means the essential > oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, > or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the > flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, > vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf > or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, > or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is > flavoring rather than nutritional. Natural flavors, include the natural > essence or extractives obtained from plants listed in subpart A of part > 582 of this chapter, and the substances listed in Sec. 172.510 of this > chapter. ---
**Author:** ![look\_hergo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85e7bf/32.png) [@look\_hergo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_hergo)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-glands-yummy-or-not/202746/4 "2003-09-20T18:08:47Z")
Also, who’s the brave soul that discovered that beaver smegma tastes like fruit? (_shudder_) ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-glands-yummy-or-not/202746/5 "2003-09-20T18:33:15Z")
There are that many beavers killed each year? Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![legion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/838e76/32.png) [@legion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/legion)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-glands-yummy-or-not/202746/6 "2003-09-20T19:00:36Z")
So next time I have a fruit soda, I really can smack my lips and say “Hmm…nice Beaver”? ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-glands-yummy-or-not/202746/7 "2003-09-20T21:55:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mangeorge \* > \*\*There are that many beavers killed each year? > Peace, > mangeorge \*\* Let me put that another, less challenging, way; Where on earth do they _get_ all those beaver preputial glands? Huh? I’m having flashbacks of slaughtered seal pups. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-glands-yummy-or-not/202746/8 "2003-09-20T23:33:09Z")
Well, beavers are all dammed to begin with, now we know why. It wasn’t for the hats, those wily old trappers wanted a better tasting soda pop! How did they find it out? Hey, everyone knows how lonesome those backwoods boys get. ---
**Author:** ![doctordoowop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@doctordoowop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doctordoowop)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beaver-glands-yummy-or-not/202746/9 "2003-09-21T03:15:41Z")
As Groucho once said, that reminds me of a story that’s so dirty I’m ashamed to think of it.(“Horsefeathers”)