|
A strawberries and cream drink from Starbucks, which will by June will be among the drinks that no longer uses dye from cochineal insects. (Starbucks via YouTube / April 23, 2012) |
The Mexican and South American tropical creepy-crawlies were dried and then processed into a coloring product that gave some Starbucks goods – including strawberry banana smoothies, raspberry swirl cakes, birthday cake pops, mini doughnuts with pink icing and red velvet whoopee pie – their rosy hue.
But it wasn’t vegan. It wasn’t kosher. It was also just kind of gross, according to the thousands of Starbucks customers who decided they weren’t adventurous enough to stomach the ingredient. (Maybe the color is part of it – consumer outcry also caused several retailers to recently strip meat products known as pink slime from their shelves.)
By the end of June, cochineal insect dye will be no more at Starbucks. The Seattle company will replace it with a tomato extract called lycopene.
“As our customers you expect and deserve better – and we promise to do better,” wrote Starbucks' U.S. President Cliff Burrows in a blog post Thursday.
RELATED:
Starbucks to make Refreshers energy drinks
Starbucks to sell single-cup machines, challenging Keurig
Starbucks to add beer, wine to menu at select coffee shops
Starbucks goes natural, opens first Evolution Fresh juice store
