Tag: strawberry

Many of us can’t fathom a day without coffee making an appearance, but some of us crave something a little sweeter. Like a Strawberry Frappuccino, for instance. They’re pretty popular at Starbucks. So popular, in fact, that you may be drinking one right now.

What you probably don’t know is that the strawberry coloring used in those Frappuccinos is made from cochineal extract, which consists of the ground-up bodies of dead insects–the cochineal bug, to be exact, which is found in Mexico and South America.

Starbucks has issued a statement on the matter, reiterating that the Frappuccino is not vegan-friendly:

“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.”

The good news (sort of) is that the FDA considers cochineal extract to be safe for consumption, and it has been used for years to give jams, meat, marinades, alcoholic drinks, cookies, cheese and other food products a little color.

But while it’s considered safe for food use, it has also been found by the World Health Organization to cause asthma and allergic reaction in certain people.

So what can you take away from this? If you are prone to allergic reactions or breathing problems, be wary of red food and drink.