KOCHI: Natural flavours seem to be back in favour. Or, at least that is what this summer's ice-cream market indicates.

Nobody is more delighted at the development than the beleaguered vanilla farmers who have made out a case for the natural version of the world's favourite flavouring agent.

The Vanilla India Producer Company (Vanilco), the first vanilla producer company in the country, has claimed that half-a-dozen ice-cream-makers have begun using natural vanillin in their ice-creams.

Vanilco also claimed that a dozen ice-cream makers in the country have begun experimenting with natural vanillin in place of its synthetic counterpart in ice- creams.

This is a great relief for vanilla farmers in the country, said Paul Jose, managing director of Vanilco, here.

He said vanilla farmers could be saved if ice-cream-makers stopped using synthetic vanillin that is now widely used in food items, including ice-creams.

According to him, about 1,000 tonnes of synthetic vanillin is imported into the country annually.

The bulk of this comes from China.

Around 400 tonnes of this is used in food products, said Mr. Jose. Synthetic vanillin also finds application as industrial deodorant.

If the Government comes forward to ban the use of synthetic vanillin in food items, farmers in the country would get remunerative prices, said Mr. Jose.

This will also help more vanilla-based industries to come up.

In a representation to the Union Commerce Ministry, Vanilco had appealed to the Government to impose restrictions on the use of synthetic vanillin in food items.

Vanilco held about 17 tonnes of cured beans now and it could well be used up within about six months if the current buoyancy for natural vanillin continues.

The start is a good one and Vanilco is receiving repeat orders from ice-cream companies while new companies are asking for samples, said Mr. Jose.

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