Which would you prefer: artificial ingredients or bugs? Starbucks has just revealed its secret ingredient in Strawberry Frappuccinos, and it’s not the artificial ingredient you were probably hoping for. That’s right, your Stawberry Frap has bugs in it.
The company says it has started using cochineal extract – ground up, dead cochineal bugs found in Mexico and South America – in order to reduce its use of artificial ingredients and to give the drink its pink hue. It’s been used as a coloring agent since the 15th century, and is considered safe by the FDA. It’s widely used for coloration in jams, preserves, meat, marinades, alcoholic drinks, bakery products, cookies, cheddar cheese and a whole slew of other food products. In other words, you’ve probably eaten your fair share of bugs before.
However, it has been found by the World Health Organization to cause asthma in some people, and an allergic reaction in others.
Oh yeah, and it’s not vegan. Starbucks said in its statement:
“At Starbucks, we strive to carry products that meet a variety of dietary lifestyles and needs. We also have the goal to minimize artificial ingredients in our products. While the strawberry base isn’t a vegan product, it helps us move away from artificial dyes.
“Many Starbucks ingredients can be combined to create a beverage free from animal-derived products; however, we are unable to guarantee this due to the potential cross-contamination with other animal-derived products in our retail locations.”
Well, at least it’s not artificial!