Apparently, I am the last to find out that Mexico is
the place to go to buy cheap vanilla. While looking
for information on the internet, I came across an
article that said vanilla from Mexico was contaminated
with coumarin and the FDA approved confiscation of
vanilla discovered at the border.
What is coumarin and how does it get into vanilla in
the first place? Is it added intentionally? The FDA
alert simply described it as a “poisonous or
deleterious substance”. I understand poisonous, but
how much coumarin would it take to cause serious
injury to someone?
My mother-in-law dismissed the whole idea and brought
back bottles of vanilla for herself and my wife.
What’s the deal, should I give up on homemade desserts?