Think about this the next time you eat vanilla ice cream.

Japanese make gasoline from cattle droppings - Science - MSNBC.com

OK, the gasoline bit is pretty cool I suppose, but THIS is the part of the article I want to focus your attention on:

In a separate experiment revealing another unusual business potential for cow dung, another group of researchers has successfully extracted an aromatic ingredient of vanilla from cattle dung, said Miki Tsuruta, a Sekisui Chemical Co. spokeswoman. The extracted ingredient, vanillin, can be used as fragrance in shampoo and candles, she said.

The next time you buy anything vanilla-flavored, check the ingredients. If it has vanillin in it...begin to wonder where it came from.

Happy eating!