TASTY EXCRETIONS
Many of us would not dream of eating a substance that comes from an animal’s bottom. However, excretions from beavers and coffee beans processed in the digestive systems of elephants and asian palm civets, otherwise known as a toddy cat (in the same family as the mongoose) are available for human consumption.
VANILLA FLAVOR
Many of us do not know castoreum, an aromatic brown viscous substance (close to molasses in texture and color) used in American Food and perfume for over 80 years.1 Castoreum is released by beavers as a way to mark territory. Every beaver has a castor sac, found between the pelvis and base of the tails. The castor sac is very close to the beaver’s anal glands, hence the castoreum often contains anal secretions and urine. The Food and Drug Administration has found the secretion to be Generally Regarded As Safe.2 Castoreum is extracted by “milking” sedated beavers.3
Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients published in 2005 lists foods containing castoreum. Generally the foods in which castoreum is listed as natural flavoring include non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, desserts and treats such as baked goods, frozen dairy products, gelatins, puddings, hard candy and chewing gum.
Castoreum is said to taste like vanilla, is it in vanilla extract? The Food and Drug Administration has set drawn out a clear definition of vanilla extract.5 Castoreum is not included in the list of allowable additives.
“Vanilla extract is the solution in aqueous ethyl alcohol of the sapid and odorous principles extractable from vanilla beans. In vanilla extract the content of ethyl alcohol is not less than 35 percent by volume and the content of vanilla constituent, as defined in 169.3(c),4 is not less than one unit per gallon. The vanilla constituent may be extracted directly from vanilla beans or it may be added in the form of concentrated vanilla extract or concentrated vanilla flavoring or vanilla flavoring concentrated to the semisolid form called vanilla oleo-resin. Vanilla extract may contain one or more of the following optional ingredients:(1) Glycerin.(2) Propylene glycol.(3) Sugar (including invert sugar).(4) Dextrose.(5) Corn syrup (including dried corn sirup).”5
COFFEE
Elephants eat large portions of varied fruit and foliage throughout their day. In parts of Asia in times of droughts, elephants eat parts of coffee plants. Under normal circumstances Elephant fecal matter contains large amounts of vegetation and seeds not broken down in the process of digestion. In nature animals like the dung beetle feed off of elephant feces. Within the last decade a herd of Thai elephants has been encouraged to eat coffee beans. The beans are collected from the dung. After collection the beans are washed, dried and roasted. Today Black Ivory Coffee is sold for about $200 for 105 grams ( less than 4 ounces). This coffee is said to have no bitterness and is sold primarily at five star hotels..
ASIAN PALM CIVET
Figure 3: Asian Palm Civet
The Asian Palm Civet’s partially digested coffee beans inspired Black Ivory Coffee. The coffee processed by the Civet is known as Wild Kopi Luwak, once the most expensive coffee in the world. The coffee is said to be less bitter and highly aromatic. Harvesting usable beans from animal feces is not an easy or common this raises the price on both Black Ivory Coffee and Wild Kopi Luwak.
BEER
Sankt Gallen Brewery made Un Kono Kuro, a Japanese beer made by taking coffee beans excreted by elephants and fermenting them into beer. Un Kono Kuro is said to have had an initial bitterness and an earthly flavor. This beer almost completely sold out upon release and is currently not in production.
Reading labels is important but can be a bit complicated when ingredients are disguised and unspecified. In the case of Black Ivory Coffee and Wild Kopi Luwak as well as Un Kono Kuro the companies selling the products have websites discussing the predigested beans. As consumers it is important to educate ourselves about the products we consume and consciously make our own decisions about the materials we choose to put on and in our bodies.
REFERENCES
1 Burdock, George F. Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients, Fifth Edition. CRC Press, 2005.
2 GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) Database
3 Bloudoff-Indelicato, Mollie. “Beaver Butts Emit Goo Used for Vanilla Flavoring.” National Geographic 10/1/2013. http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2013/10/01/beaver-butts-emit-goo-used-for-vanilla-flavoring/
4 Code of Federal Regulations.Title 21. Vol 2. Chapter 1. Subchapter B. Part 169 Subpart A. Sec 169.3 Definitions.
5 Code of Federal Regulations.Title 21. Vol 2. Chapter 1. Subchapter B. Part 169 Subpart B. Sec 169.175 Vanilla Extract
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