Vanilla flavoring, brought to you by Beaver Anal Glands!

While I was busily trying to avoid busywork at work yesterday, I stumbled upon this gloriously disgusting fact via a video clip of Jamie Oliver on David Letterman:
Many processed foods that contain vanilla flavoring GET that flavoring from the anal glands of beavers.

Don't believe me? Watch this clip from the blog befoodsmart.com: Video: Jamie Oliver talks about Beaver Anal Gland (Castoreum) in our Food!

And if Jamie Oliver isn't enough of an authority for you, how about the good folks at Wikipedia.

If I ever need a good reminder to put the ice cream back in the cooler aisle and run away immediately, this would be it. My favorite part? The fact that rendered beaver anal glands can be listed as "natural flavorings". I guess you don't get much more natural than that! It makes me wonder how many other things I'm eating that actually ARE made from animals, and I wouldn't even know it. I suppose all this could be avoided by avoiding processed foods. But ice cream? I'm going to be reading labels a LOT more closely now. I know there are some natural versions out there, but from now on I want to see "Vanilla Bean" with my own two eyes.