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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!
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