The project was launched around twenty years ago, abandoned due to disagreement within the sector then put back on the agenda : the registration of “vanilla from Reunion Island” in the register of Protected Geographical Indications (IGP) is now in effect, after several years of education. The European Commission put the final stamp on the file on August 27. The document formalizing the PGI gives a precise definition of the product which “comes in whole pods, transformed, and not emptied of their seeds, specifies the Commission. It is a vanilla with a chocolate brown color which is distinguished by its finesse and sweetness.. Its quality comes from natural factors and the know-how of producers”. The Protected Geographical Indication recognizes three categories of “Reunion vanilla”. Dry vanilla, the best known and the blackest, must not have a humidity level higher than 42%. Frosted vanilla, most sought after, is covered in crystals resulting from its high vanillin content. The third category, called “fresh vanilla”, has a much higher humidity level, but a fleshy appearance that appeals to consumers. To display the IGP, producers will have to obtain certification of their pods. The approach, paid, will allow them to be distinguished from imported vanilla, often presented as local on the island's fairground markets.
