Handbook of Vanilla Science and Technology

Commercial vanilla products are produced from the cured, dried, and conditioned pods of fully mature fruit of the orchid genus Vanilla. Of the 110 known species of vanilla, only Vanilla planifolia Andrews, Vanilla tahitensis Moore, and Vanilla pompona Shiede are of commercial importance today. In the United States, vanilla beans have a standard of identity and are defined in the US Code of Federal Regulations for Vanilla, 21 CFR 169.3, as follows:

Vanilla beans are defined as the properly cured and dried fruit pods of Vanilla planifolia Andrews and Vanilla tahitensis Moore. Unit weight of vanilla beans refers to 283.85 g of moisture free beans or 13.33 oz of beans with moisture content of 25%.

It is important to emphasize that beans of V. pompona are not covered under the standard of identity for use in the United States. However, V. pompona is used in Central America to some extent.

The parameters used to determine the quality of vanilla beans are:

I Grade.

II Aroma.

III Moisture content.

IV Vanillin content.

V Microbial Limits.

9.2.1 Grading of vanilla beans

Vanilla is graded before it is sold in the market. Grading depends on the color, size, blemishes, and sheen on the cured and conditioned beans. Each producing country has its own grading system but the basic grading in all vanilla bean producing countries is “Whole beans”, “Split beans”, and “Cuts” (Figure 9.1). The price of vanilla beans is dependent on its grade category.

 Fig. 9.1 Basic grading of vanilla beans.

9.2.1.1 Vanilla grading in Mexico Grading is based on the following categories:

• Extras: Thick beans with dark brown to black color with oily sheen and exceptional appearance.

• Superiors: Similar to extras but not as thick and distinguished.

• Good Superior.

• Good: Slightly paler color than “Good Superior” and less luster, more drier than superiors.

• Medium.

• Ordinary: Poor color and appearance, can have surface blemishes.

• Cuts: Longs, shorts, superior cuts, ordinary cuts.

9.2.1.2 Vanilla grading in Madagascar

• Black beans: Dark chocolate brown, supple beans with oily luster, more than 30% moisture.

• TK vanilla: TK (or TeKa) is a Malagasy term for vanilla beans whose quality falls between black beans and Red Fox beans, moisture in these beans is 25 to 30%.

• Red Fox: European quality, slightly thinner than TK vanilla with reddish chocolate brown color, 25% moisture.

• American Quality: Red Fox quality with 22 to 25% moisture and slightly more blemishes;

• Cuts: Short, cut, split beans with substandard aroma and color.

9.2.1.3 Vanilla grading in Indonesia

Beans are graded into six categories, as shown in Table 9.1:

Table 9.1 Six categories of bean grading

Type | Vanillin (%) | Moisture (%)

Gourmet | 1.6 | 35

Grade 1 | 1.6 | 25

Grade 2 | 1.4 | 20

Grade 3 | 1.0 | 17

Cuts | 0.5 | 15

EP Cuts | <0.2 | 12

9.2.1.4 Vanilla grading in Uganda

Vanilla beans in Uganda are classified into two grades, A and B. Both grades are marketable:

• Grade A1: Whole, healthy, supple, dark brown or reddish shiny beans. More than 12 cm long and maximum moisture content of 30%.

• Grade A2: Split vanilla with same characteristics as A1 beans.

• Grade B: Whole oven dry, short, broken or cut beans. Poor quality beans with irregular shapes, poor color but with fair vanilla aroma, maximum moisture 25%.

9.2.1.5 Vanilla grading in Tahiti

• Category Extra: 16 cm and longer beans.

• Category 1: 14 and 15 cm beans.

• Category 2: 13 cm and under beans.

Often 13 cm beans are included in Category 1. Maximum moisture in the beans is 44%. In addition to the grading systems described above, the following specific terms are often used to describe vanilla beans:

• Blistered beans: Vanilla beans with blisters. The skin is discolored and easily peels off. This is caused by poor curing of rot afflicted immature beans.

• Cuts: Cured broken and cut vanilla beans.

• Frosted beans: Cured beans with vanillin crystals naturally formed on the surface (Figure 9.2).

• Immature beans: Beans harvested before they are mature. These beans have very low or no vanillin depending upon the degree of maturity (harvest time before maturity).

• Moldy beans: The beans are affected by fungal contamination and have a moldy smell, and/or have white or gray mycelium on the bean.