Frappuccinos Minus Bugs

The vegan community can rejoice today. Starbucks will no longer use cochineal (koch-i-neel) extract in their Strawberries & Crème Frappuccino® and Strawberry Banana Smoothie. Other products such Raspberry Swirl Cake, Birthday Cake Pop, Mini Doughnut with pink icing, and Red Velvet Whoopie Pie will continue to be produced with the ingredient until June of this year.

The tip-off that lead to an online post (hosted by the website thisdishisvegetarian.com) was given last month by a barista working at a midwest Starbucks. A petition was posted on change.org and PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) also joined the fray to show their support. All aforementioned parties later applauded the policy change today on their respective blogs.

Fleeting as some stories are, time will be the final judge on whether this story has any lasting impression on consumers. Approved by the FDA, cochineal has a long and illustrious history. With a positive nod toward social responsibility, Starbucks is one of the few (at least in this case) to fulfill customer demands. Found in many foods, cosmetics and fabrics, cochineal has been linked to causing allergic reactions and accentuating hyperactivity in children sensitive to it. Because of its pervasiveness, it will once again be up to the consumer to scrutinize packages and pressure manufacturers to leave the bugs out.

For those of you who feel squeamish at the possibility of ingesting these critters, check the ingredients label for “carminic acid”, “colored with carmine”, or “cochineal extract”. Any foodstuff that has a viabrant red hue is worth checking out!

Munsell’s Crusade to Instruct the Masses

We often take for granted the past work done by pioneers such as Albert H. Munsell. Painter, teacher, and inventor, Munsell created the most influential color-modeling system for its time. His efforts devised a “rational way to describe color” through the of use clear decimal notation; using hue, value, and chroma into uniform yet independent dimensions within a three-dimensional space. This idea broke with the traditional approach of identifying colors through a naming scheme, which Munsell thought was “foolish” and “misleading”. Munsell Color System, Atlas of Color Charts. The color system Munsell built back in the 1900 ’ s continues to serve educators, visual artists, and the industries who depend on color matching technologies to produce their products and services. The Munsell Color Company website has a historical overview of Munsell’s legacy as well as examples of company projects that continue to advance the process of achieving accurate color. To peer inside the

It's All About Orange - Pantone's 2012 Color of the Year

The annual hue-of-choice made its début this past week. World renowned color authority Pantone named Tangerine Tango 2012's color of the year. Pantone believes that this vivacious orange can “...provide the energy boost we need to recharge and.” Perceived more often as an autumnal choice, orange was seen on the runways of Fashion Week this year amongst other robust colors. Dubbed by Women's Wear Daily “..as the most popular color at spring Fashion Week”, tangerine like any other color has the potential to leave the catwalks and make its way into the likes of retail sectors which include areas of industrial design. The last time orange was used with abandon, was during the late 70’s. The avocado/harvest gold/brown combinations reigned supreme in kitchens across America. Often incorporated into Formica counter tops, vinyl flooring, and matching appliances, fake as well as real wood-grain themes was the style that permeated home furnishings. With international economic w

Color: A Workshop for Artists and Designers

If you are either an educator in need of color theory assignments, or an artist looking to exercise your color “muscle”, this text will fill that void. Color: A Workshop for Artists and Designers (2nd edition) by David Hornung offers an approach to color theory with projects that build understanding as you advance through the book. With assignments that are primarily geared toward painters, it is possible to adapt some of the lessons for use on the computer (with a little work). This is one of those a texts whose strength is not derived from historical, cultural, or psychological references. If your intent is to obtain a book that uses (only) practical approaches to cement color concepts—this one’s for you! *Note to the editors: Please correct the misspelling of Munsell’s name!

All Color Matters

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