Greetings from NYC, It seems as if I cannot reply to post in AOL version 6.0...so I had to leave town to respond from my laptop. In response to carrots: I can't tell you why other companies use them, but I can guess it isn't because they are cheap. In fact, the more you specify the type of carrots, the more expensive they are. We use carrots for the flavor, it is also why we use specially prepared habaneros. Carrots add a certain sweetness to the blend. In fact, the carrots also help with the consistency of a product (when they are cooked). Hope you are all well, Janis