Friday, April 27, 2012

Crushed Bugs and Starbucks?

by Katy Green
www.shoptobegreen.com



Starbucks Strawberry Frappuccino
I wish I could take credit for the title but it is true and it may not be news to some but since I'm a Starbucks drinker - it was news to me so in the spirit of sharing and caring.

According to Ecorazzi and This Dish is Vegetarian, that Starbucks’ Strawberries and Creme Frappuccino was not vegan even if ordered with soy milk.

Shocking I say - that is why reading ingredients is so key!

Cochineal Extract

Its seems that the Strawberries and Creme Frapp and some other Starbucks products included a cochineal extract (including Stawberry Banana Smoothie, Raspberry Swirl Cake, Birthday Cake Pop, Mini Donut with pink icing, and Red Velvet Whoopie Pie.) the  food dye is made from crushed beetles.

The news of the crushed bugs was shared by a vegan Starbucks employee, led to public outrage over the ingredient and thousands of signatures on a petition started by This Dish Is Veg founder Daelyn Fortney.

Wow, you see how powerful one voice is and then it spreads like a virus, that is true "power of the people".


Cochineal

Quote from the This Dish is Vegetarian:
What originally began as a story to inform vegans that their Starbucks’ Strawberry Frappuccino was no longer safe to consume ended up being an issue that bothered many people. Individuals across the country and world turned their single voices into one steady roar that informed Starbucks of their displeasure. Thanks to social media and my petition on Change.org, within a matter of weeks, Starbucks has agreed to rectify the situation, showing that it is a stand-up company that cares about its consumers.”
How cool is that! For more the cochineal extract Starbucks story, click here!

Please note before you get bugged out, according to Dr. Weil - Trusted Health Advisor: "Carmine and cochineal are used to color some foods pink or red and tend to be found in juices, cherries in canned fruit cocktails, artificial crab meat, strawberry milk drinks, and some fruit-flavored yogurts." 

A small number of people have allergic reactions to the insect proteins, flushing, hives, headaches, eczema, sneezing and, rarely, anaphylactic shock, which can be fatal. To avoid products containing carmine and cochineal, don't buy any pink or red foods whose ingredients include artificial coloring or added coloring.

As unappetizing as these beetle-derived food colorings may sound, they may not be as dangerous as synthetic food dyes. For more on Dr. Weil's food dye article, click here.


 


 










 

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