4-Hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde

OriginDerived from vanilla beans or synthesized from guaiacol, a compound found in wood creosote or petroleum sources. Produced through oxidation of isoeugenol or chemical synthesis from guaiacol via formylation reactions.

Vanillin is the primary component of the extract of the vanilla bean. Synthetic vanillin, instead of natural vanilla extract, is sometimes used as a flavouring agent in foods, beverages, and pharmaceuticals. It is used by the food industry as well as ethylvanillin.Artificial vanilla flavoring is a solution of pure vanillin, usually of synthetic origin. Because of the scarcity and expense of natural vanilla extract, there has long been interest in the synthetic preparation of its predominant component. The first commercial synthesis of vanillin began with the more readily available natural compound eugenol. Today, artificial vanillin is made from either guaiacol or from lignin, a constituent of wood which is a byproduct of the paper industry. (Wiki).