FDA Issues Warning about Mexican Vanilla with Coumarin

Coumarin Banned in the USA Since 1954

The FDA has issued a consumer update regarding so-called Mexican "vanilla." While the product may smell like vanilla, taste like vanilla, and be offered at a cheaper price than pure vanilla, Mexican vanilla is often made with coumarin, a toxic substance banned in food in the United States since 1954.

In addition to being sold in Mexico and other Latin American countries, the coumarin-containing product has appeared on the shelves of some U.S. stores. The FDA advises consumers not to purchase this product.

Mexican vanilla is frequently made with the extract of beans from the tonka tree, a plant that belongs to the pea family. Tonka bean extract contains coumarin, a compound related to warfarin, which is in some blood-thinning medications. Eating food containing coumarin may be especially risky for people taking blood-thinning drugs because the interaction of coumarin and blood thinners can increase the likelihood of bleeding.

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Published on Nov-4-08