It was announced late last month that Starbucks had been using natural cochineal extract to give the strawberry frappuccinos their vibrant, bubblegum hue. Needless to say, learning that insects were used in the making of the refreshing drinks didn’t sit well with customers and, eventually, the outrage forced the popular coffee chain to change their recipe.
President of Starbucks US, Cliff Burrows, released a statement today confirming the company’s decision to change the ingredients in the drink:
“As I first shared on March 29, we’ve learned that we fell short of your expectations by using natural cochineal extract as a colorant in four food and two beverage offerings in the United States. Our commitment to you, our customers, is to serve the highest quality products available. As our customers you expect and deserve better – and we promise to do better.”
He continues, “After a thorough, yet fastidious, evaluation, I am pleased to report that we are reformulating the affected products to assure the highest quality possible. Our expectation is to be fully transitioned to lycopene, a natural, tomato-based extract, in the strawberry sauce (base) used in our Strawberries & Crème Frappuccino® blended beverage and Strawberry Banana Smoothie. Likewise, we are transitioning away from the use of cochineal extract in our food offerings which currently contain it (Raspberry Swirl Cake, Birthday Cake Pop, Mini Donut with pink icing, and Red Velvet Whoopie Pie).”
The statement finishes by promising customers that the company’s intention is to have all locations in the US using the new ingredients by the end of June.
Do you think Starbucks did the right thing by changing the ingredients in their products?
