In the early 20th century, castoreum began appearing in some foods to add a vanilla-raspberry flavor. But its use had fallen by 1987, when the U.S. consumed about 250 pounds of castoreum per year ...

You might have come across the slightly concerning claim that imitation vanilla extract comes from the rear end of beavers, specifically from a substance called castoreum. Have no fear.

Castoreum is an anal secretion beavers use to mark their territories. It also happens to smell like vanilla. More specifically, the raw form is often described as "birch tar or Russian leather." ...

MYTH: Beaver butt secretions are in your vanilla ice cream. You've probably heard that a secretion called castoreum, isolated from the anal gland of a beaver, is used in flavorings and perfumes.