Question

while researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:

• vanillin is the primary flavor component of vanilla extract.
• it is naturally found in the vanilla bean.
• vanillin can also be produced synthetically.
• most synthetic vanillin comes from the oxidation of wood - tar chemicals like guaiacol.
• the synthetic form of vanillin is around ten times cheaper to produce than natural vanillin.
• today, around 99% of the vanillin used in food products is synthetic.

the student wants to explain why synthetic vanillin is so widely used. which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
choose 1 answer:
a vanilla extract gets its flavor from vanillin, a compound that is found naturally in vanilla beans.
b since synthetic vanillin is around ten times cheaper to produce than natural vanillin, around 99% of vanillin used in food products is synthetic.
c nearly all of the vanillin used in food products today is produced

Explanation:

To explain why synthetic vanillin is widely used, we need to connect a reason (from the notes) to its widespread adoption. Option A focuses on natural vanillin’s source, not synthetic use. Option B links the key reason (synthetic vanillin is ~10× cheaper to produce) to its high usage (99% of food vanillin is synthetic), directly addressing the goal. (Option C’s text is incomplete, but from what’s shown, it only states usage, not the reason.)

Answer:

B. Since synthetic vanillin is around ten times cheaper to produce than natural vanillin, around 99% of vanillin used in food products is synthetic.