Use the text to compare and contrast artificial vanilla and natural vanilla. More than ninety-five percent of vanilla-flavored foods are made with artificial vanilla.
While natural vanilla comes from the Vanilla bean, artificial vanilla is derived from some
very unusual sources. Over the years, scientists have been able to extract artificial vanilla
flavoring from paper waste, coal tar, and even cow manure! Whereas natural vanilla has
many health benefits, some forms of artificial vanilla can actually be bad for you. So how
can you tell the difference? Sometimes natural vanilla can leave dark specks in food. But
a lot of the time, you can't tell the difference just by looking. You can't always tell by
tasting, either. Artificial and natural vanilla often taste the same when used in baked
goods. When in doubt, always check the package label.