Benefits of lignin based vanillin every product developer should know

Vanillin is well known for its distinctive vanilla aroma and flavour. Bio-based vanillin from lignin offers even more. In food and beverage applications – and beyond – it delivers functional benefits that make it a versatile, future-ready ingredient.

Here are six benefits every formulator and product developer should know: 

• Boosts Sweetness and creaminess. Provides additional sweetness and creaminess, thus enabling sugar reduction without compromising taste.
• Masks Off-Notes. Smooths undesirable flavours such as cocoa bitterness, off-tastes from milk powders or vegetable fats, and aftertastes from sweeteners.
• Extends Shelf Life. Contributes antimicrobial properties that help slow yeast and mould growth, supporting stability. 
• Delivers Consistency. Uniform quality batch after batch. Crop-based vanilla extract can vary with harvest. 
• Handles Heat. Retains flavour intensity during baking and high-temperature processing, unlike alcohol-based vanilla extract/flavours, where the alcohol can evaporate, taking more delicate and volatile flavour chemicals with it.
• Plant-Based and Sustainable. Derived from renewable wood, offering up to 90% lower CO₂ footprint than fossil-based alternatives.

Borregaard’s bio-based vanillin, derived from lignin, offers a premium balance of taste, consistency, and sustainability - making it a smarter choice for modern food and beverage formulations.