koko wrote:

> PeterL, just be very careful when you buy "genuine Mexican vanilla
> flavoring"
> Some of it is made from the toxic bean coumarin. It's used to make a
> flavoring just like vanilla and is a know carcinogen.
>
> Make sure your Mexican vanilla is labeled coumarin free.

Ummm... That's very close, but not quite right. The beans are called tonka
beans, and coumarin is the compound in the beans which make them toxic if
too much is consumed. Also, when consumed, coumarin is a liver/kidney toxin
more than it is a carcinogen -- though if inhaled, it can cause lung cancer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonka_bean
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coumarin

Bob