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You’ll Never Guess What’s In A Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte (Hint: You Won’t Be Happy)

Updated 4/6/2015 (see bottom of post)

I really love the smell of pumpkin (especially in the Fall), but, there is at least one seasonal pumpkin treat that I will never order and that’s the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte. With more than 200 million sold to date, these drinks sell like hotcakes this time of year, and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said it “still ranks as its most popular seasonal beverage”. But, does anyone know what’s really in it?

I found out, and I’m going to break it all down for you here.  

FB_SBPumpkinSpicePreviewImage_2

But first, I want to mention that I get riled up when restaurants refuse to disclose their ingredients, because we have the right to know what we are eating and drinking. I’ve tried for years to get ingredient information from Starbucks and it’s been a bit frustrating to say the least. If you’ve ever tried emailing their customer service for ingredients you probably know what I’m talking about.

This week, we emailed them asking for the complete list of ingredients in the Pumpkin Spice Latte and this was their response:

“The Pumpkin Spice Latte is of pumpkin and traditional fall spice flavors combined with espresso and steamed milk, topped with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice. If you ever have any questions or concerns in the future, please don’t hesitate to get in touch”.

After several more emails back and forth, they were still refusing to share the ingredients:

While we understand that some customers would like to know the nutrition information for their specific customized beverage, unfortunately we are unable to provide this level of detail for every beverage customization request. The beverage information that is available on Starbucks.com reflects the beverage offerings currently on our menu with the most common customization options.

For a company that prides itself in its transparency, it’s unbelievable to me that this is how they respond to customers who ask for information about what’s in their drinks. After really putting the pressure on, I was finally able to get the complete list, but it wasn’t easy. While they list some ingredients on their website, they still do not list the ingredients in their most popular items: their drinks! This includes all of their lattes, frappuccinos, macchiatos, smoothies, etc. Starbucks doesn’t even publish the ingredients in their “Kid’s Drinks” – keeping parents completely in the dark. If you have a food allergy, their allergen information isn’t available online either.

How’s that for transparency?

Besides trying to get an employee to spill the beans, pretty much the only way to get the ingredients in their drinks is to go into their online store and search for each of the individual components that make up these drinks, but they are not all listed here. Quite frankly, this is a pain. This also requires you to know all of the components that make up the drink that you order. For instance, the Pumpkin Spice Latte isn’t just espresso, syrup and milk. If you order it the usual way on the menu, it contains espresso, pumpkin sauce, steamed milk (or soy milk), whipped cream and spice topping – and these each come with their own ingredient list.  

Another way to get ingredients is to email and call customer service, or to ask a corporate contact at Starbucks (if you’re lucky enough to know one like me). We used all of these avenues to get the ingredients in this drink, and you know what?  

We got different ingredients. 

Overall, the ingredients were similar, but there were slight differences. We initially called Starbucks customer service and they said that all of the syrups sold in their online store are the same ones that are used in the restaurant, and that specifically the Pumpkin Sauce is the same. The online version  here says Pumpkin Sauce contains high fructose corn syrup. They also divulged the ingredients in the whipped cream, spice topping, and soy milk.  

Shortly thereafter, we also received a response to our email inquiry and this is when things became shady.

This time the ingredient list they sent over didn’t have any high fructose corn syrup on it. Rather, it was replaced with “sweetened condensed nonfat milk”.  After a couple email exchanges, they seemed to confirm that HFCS is an ingredient:

“Yes the sauce that we sell online at www.starbucks.com is that same sauce that we use in our stores. I understand you concerns about high fructose corn syrup being used in the Sweentened Condensed Nonfat Milk. Please be aware that product information is provided to us by the suppliers who manufacture food and beverage items for Starbucks Coffee Company. Variations may exist due to periodic changes in formulations. While we attempt to provide product information that is as complete as possible, product changes or new product introductions may cause this information to become outdated or incomplete. Products may vary from location to location”.

I wasn’t done yet. I also contacted a PR rep at Starbucks whom I had been in contact with previously and asked her to send me the ingredients. According to her, “The condensed milk is sweetened with sugar (no HFCS)”.

As you can see, this makes for a very confusing customer experience, and I still don’t really know if it contains high fructose corn syrup (or not).

Why won’t they just publish ingredients online and end the confusion?

They obviously know what the ingredients are in each of their drinks, so I see no reason for them to hold back from publishing them (in their entirety) online just like they do for their food items. This would make it easy for their customers to know exactly what they are drinking. I believe the reason that they’re dragging their feet is because they don’t want you to know about the harmful additives in their biggest selling items.

Case In Point: You’ll get 2 doses of Class IV Caramel Coloring in Starbuck’s Pumpkin Spice Latte.

FB_SBPumpkinSpiceLatte_5-2

You’ve probably heard me talk about caramel coloring before, and that’s because I think it’s one of the most hazardous chemicals being added to our food. Although it sounds harmless, food safety and consumer watch dog groups say it is not.  

There are four different types (classes) of caramel coloring and two of those types contain the dangerous substance 4-methylimidazole (4-Mel).  Starbucks uses Class IV Caramel Color, considered the most harmful type that contains 4-Mel, in many of their drink syrups and sauces. It’s even in their whipped cream!  

Why Starbucks should stop using Class IV Caramel Coloring immediately:

  • It’s created in a laboratory by reacting corn sugar with ammonia and sulfites under high pressure and temperature, which produces the byproduct 4-Mel.
  • A U.S government funded study found that feeding mice caramel coloring IV (which contained 4-Mel) increased their risk of developing lung cancer and leukemia, at every dosage level
  • The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies 4-Mel as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”.
  • Any food or drink that contains more than 29 micrograms of 4-Mel requires a cancer warning label In California (under Prop 65) that says, “WARNING: This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer.” 
  • The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) petitioned the FDA to ban caramel coloring in 2011 due to safety concerns and the cancer risk of allowing this ingredient in our food.
  • It has no nutritional benefits and is only used cosmetically to improve the appearance of food and drinks, yet there are safer alternatives available to food manufacturers.
  • It’s sometimes added unnecessarily to food and drinks that are naturally brown or that are not even visible to the consumer (e.g. baby vitamin drops).
  • It’s the most widely used food coloring in the world, which makes it easy to consume excessive amounts.
  • Thankfully, the FDA is currently reviewing its safety and GRAS status, due to a Consumer Reports study that found excessive levels in many popular drinks.

In previous correspondence with Starbucks, they told me they have no plans to remove the ingredient and, “in all instances where the color is used in our beverages, the level is well below the No Significant Risk Level (NSRL) allowed by California’s Prop 65, regarded as a conservative evaluation system, and safe to consume”. I haven’t seen any testing results that show the exact levels of 4-Mel found in Starbucks drinks, so we just have to take their word for it on this one. Also, even if the level is below what’s allowed, what if someone has a Vente (Starbuck’s largest size) with the double dose of caramel coloring within the syrup and whipcream – what’s the amount of caramel coloring then? Even if the levels are below what’s permitted in California, it’s still not safe. In the opinion of toxicologist Dr. Urvashi Rangan, “There is no ‘safe’ level of 4-MeI, but if you have set a threshold, it should be well below the Prop 65 level (29 micrograms/day) – and more like 3 micrograms/day”Roasted coffee itself has been shown to contain trace amounts of 4-Mel. Couple that with the fact that this coloring is in just about every processed food you can imagine, so you may be cumulatively eating more of this stuff than you realize – and no amount is safe.  

Would you really care if the syrup and sauces that they squirt into your coffee are colored brown? It’s going into brown coffee anyhow…. it’s totally ridiculous to me that caramel coloring is even considered a necessary ingredient and that Starbucks doesn’t ask their suppliers to completely remove it. 

Where’s the pumpkin?

FB_SBPumpkinSpiceInGREEDients_3

After reading the ingredients in the Pumpkin Spice Latte, I can tell you that there’s absolutely no pumpkin. Instead, you’ll be drinking this:

  • A Huge Dose of Sugar – A lot of it. Order up a non-fat grande and you’ll get served 50 grams of sugar. Is it a pick-me-up from the caffeine, or all that toxic sugar?
  • Monsanto Milk – Even though over a hundred thousand customers are demanding it, Starbucks refuses to serve organic milk (at all locations). Due to consumer pressure, they stopped using milk from cows injected with growth hormones several years ago, but their milk still comes from cows that are fed genetically modified feed all day long – which is really supporting Monsanto and the biotech companies. When cows survive primarily on a cheap grain diet (corn, soy, alfalfa, cotton) it’s bad for the health of the animals, which is contributing to the overuse of antibiotics and the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. If they made the switch to organic milk, or even offered it for that matter, it would ensure that it didn’t come from cows grazing on GMO grains or injected with antibiotics.
  • Pesticide Residue – Starbucks doesn’t serve organic coffee in most locations. Non-organic coffee is considered one of the heaviest chemically treated crops in the world, especially when it’s imported from developing nations that allow pesticides that are restricted in the U.S. due to health concerns, such as Chlorpyrifos.
  • Natural and Artificial Flavors – Since this drink contains absolutely no pumpkin, this is where all that flavor comes from. The problem with both artificial and natural flavors is that their sources are proprietary and you never really know what they are made from. 
  • Preservatives and Sulfites – Which may cause allergic reactions or asthma attacks, and is linked with DNA damage.

If you’re vegan, I have a specific warning for you.

Many of you may be shocked to find out that when you order a Pumpkin Spice latte with soy milk, it’s still not vegan. This is because the Pumpkin Sauce contains condensed nonfat milk, and many Starbucks employees don’t realize this and have misinformed customers. This is yet another reason that Starbucks Corporate should be transparent about what’s in their drinks by publishing complete ingredients online. 

You’ll also get more than you bargained for if you order up a soy latte, because the Starbucks “proprietary” organic soy milk contains carrageenan – which is linked to gastrointestinal inflammation and cancer.  It also contains another dose of added sugar, preservatives and natural flavors. 

Complete Ingredients in Starbucks “Pumpkin” Spice Latte:

Milk, Espresso (Water, Brewed Espresso Coffee), Pumpkin Spice Flavored Sauce (Sugar, Condensed Nonfat Milk, High Fructose Corn Syrup or Sweetened Condensed Nonfat Milk (Milk, Sugar), Annatto (for color), Natural and Artificial Flavors, Caramel Color (class IV), Salt, Potassium Sorbate (preservative)), Whip Cream (Whipping Cream, Starbucks Vanilla Syrup (Sugar, Water, Natural Flavors, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Caramel Color (class IV))Pumpkin Spice Topping: Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Clove, Sulfites.

SOY OPTION:

Starbucks Organic Soy Milk (plain): Filtered Water, Organic Whole Soybeans, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Calcium Carbonate, Organic Vanilla Flavor, Natural Flavors, Sea Salt, Carrageenan, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B12, Zinc Gluconate.

Starbucks Organic Soy Milk (vanilla): Filtered Water, Organic Whole Soybeans, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Calcium Carbonate, Natural Vanilla Flavors, Natural Flavors, Sea Salt, Carrageenan, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B12.

Ditch the Starbucks and Drink This Instead!

Mama Natural has a version of a homemade pumpkin spice latte that actually uses real pumpkin! And 100 Days of Real Food has a few quick and easy alternative recipes – see help graphic below. 

pumpkin-spice-chart

You can also try a latte with my homemade pistachio milk, which is one of my favorite treats! Also, seek out locally-owned organic fair trade coffee shops in your area. My favorite is Larry’s Beans Organic Fair Trade coffee. 

Starbucks: Stop Putting Toxic Chemicals In Your Pumpkin Spice Latte.

  1. Tell Starbucks to remove unnecessary carcinogenic caramel coloring by commenting on their Facebook and Twitter pages. 
  2. Call their customer service department at 1-800-782-7282 and ask them to remove these harmful additives and post all of their ingredients online.
  3. Join GMO Inside and sign the petition asking them to serve organic milk at all locations. 
  4. Share this blog post with everyone you know. The more people that know the truth, the more Starbucks will be forced to make a change. 

Thank you for your activism and spreading the word in advance. Together we can change the food system. Hopefully in the near future, we can have treats like these without worrying about the toxic chemicals in them!

Xo,

Vani 

Update 4/6/2015: I received an email from Starbucks representatives that they have started to remove caramel coloring level IV. “we recently transitioned the vanilla syrup in our US and Canada stores to a new formula which is free from caramel coloring. We prioritized vanilla as it is an ingredient in our whipped cream, so with this one change we removed caramel coloring from many beverages. We are actively working on the rest and don’t have a specific timeline to share at this time.” Go Food Babe Army Go! 

 

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932 responses to “You’ll Never Guess What’s In A Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte (Hint: You Won’t Be Happy)

  1. if you like the smell of pumpkin in the fall, then please come and stand behind me — you will not be disappointed.

    1. Sugar is not toxic, to say such a thing is utterly absurd. Humans have eaten sugar since the dawn of man. 50 grams of sugar is still below the EU’s RDA of sugar (90 grams.) How do you think pumpkin spice lattes are not bitter whatsoever, when Starbucks plain coffee is very much so?

      The recipe you provided would not make anything close to a pumpkin spice latte. If you don’t like the ingredients in it, then buy a different type of pumpkin spice syrup. They sell all sorts of alternatives at a number of places, including Williams Sonoma (Theirs is quite good.).

      Carrageenan does not cause cancer, and most people don’t have much of a reaction to it. It is in so many things, including most non-dairy milk alternatives; that it is almost unavoidable in some food categories.

      The vast majority of people in the world, especially people of European descent like myself, have no adverse reaction to sulfites. Wine has sulfites, as do many beers, ciders, and meads. Only a very small sect of people have a sulfite allergy.

      I admit, I would rather Starbucks use organic milk. But, conventional milk makes more business sense, and they can save billions a year using it.

      If you think sugar is toxic, sulfites are allergenic to all, coffee is loaded with pesticides, and carrageenan causes cancer; then why would you buy Starbucks products then. Most people know/expect it to have these ingredients. If you don’t want sugar in your coffee, drink organic espresso shots.

      I rather use organic coffee, I often do use it; but it is not as readily available as conventional coffee (Especially for Nespresso.)

      And all whipped cream as carrageenan. Organic, heavy cream, regular, low-fat, non-dairy, and fat free variants all have carrageenan. Even the local, grass-fed, organic whipped cream I buy from Whole Foods has it.

      Most baristas are unhygienic and do not wash their hands after going to the bathroom according to a recent study I saw today. And that is one of they many reasons why am just buying a Nespresso. If you just buy some organic milk, pumpkin spice syrup from Williams Sonoma or elsewhere, a Nespresso (With a built in or separate frother.), then you can make your own pumpkin spices lattes.

      1. Dear InformedPerson,

        You are not so informed and need to read up on your facts. Everything Food Babe stated is true, and are things you should become more aware of. 1 out of 3 Canadians have cancer, and this is not just because it “simply happens”, it’s because of what’s consumed, environmental toxins etc…. It is truly scary to know that some of the ingredients being used in processed drinks and foods contains a large variety of sketchy ingredients. They are used because they make the food taste better, and mainly because they are cheap. You should be avoiding sugar (which feeds cancer), nitrites (which feeds cancer), and carrageenan (which feeds cancer). Of course it’s impossible to avoid everything, but making mostly healthy choices allows your body to get rid of toxic items much easier if you have them only once in a while. Thank you Food Babe for this informative article!!!

      2. You surely are being paid for dispersing lies. Do you work for a sugar company, why would you go to all the trouble of promoting a substance that is harmful to one and all? How many teeth have you lost, how’s your jaw bone structure, how about bone density. You say sugar has been around since the dawn of history, or something like that, really, since 510BC but it wasn’t available until 1700 when the average yearly amount per person was 4 pounds per year. But something was happening as sugar use increased, health problems that never existed before started showing up, many, many dental problems and if there are dental problems there are bone problems. Your comment is pure nonsense and you went to a lot of trouble to overwhelm we savages who just don’t “get it.” In Alaska Eskimos committed suicide due to turning to sweets Western Diets introduced, they leap in the bay and drown since the paid was unbearable, so bad they’d kill themselves. Sugar, HFCS, etc. are industry tools to hook us, but we get hooked on stuff that ruins our minds, body and nerves. You really are behind times, like out of corporate mentality where the most the heads of such places top the list for psychopaths, they are number one, lawyers #2, and the rest are controlling professions, ending with civil servants and, oh yes, cops and clergy are number 6 and 7. You come across as ignorant or industry protective, both aren’t need if we’re to make progress and turn the health problems we face around. As side note, 250 pounds of chemicals are sprayed per acre to grow coffee beans. We are heading the oblivion if we keep going as we are or as you advocate. Sugar, chemicals, processed junk, it’s madness.

      3. I’m with you Informed. The war on sugar is insane! If we’re getting technical, yes, sugar feeds cancer. You know what else feeds almost exclusively on sugar? Your brain. Fact. If you don’t eat enough sugar, your body will manufacture the molecules that make it up. That… or you die. Cheers!

      4. Yep, sugar isn’t the problem…it’s all you crazy folk thinking it is. MODERATION is the key and eating a balanced diet (hello veggies, hello fruit and OMG you are full cream milk, I might drink you!).
        Basic nutrition hasn’t changed for hundreds of years, problem is the generations have. Fast food, tinned food, easy meals.
        Go back to basics – simple easy answer!
        Oh and don’t give me that crap about mineral depleted soil blah blah blah I’ve already done my research & I’m ok with adding a Greens Balance along the way!

      5. This whole article is out of proportion, but you are mistaken on the dangers of excessive sugar. A healthy woman should aim for around 25 grams of sugar a day. A soda contains 40 and other drinks continue much more. Sugar is the leading cause of diabetes. The grand rule should be everything in moderation.

      6. Sugar really is not the problem, People that abuse their right to consume as much of it as they want is what causes all the problems, Get off your butts, Exercise and cut back a little bit, Sugar is not the problem, you are

      7. even spinach is toxic if you eat enough of it. So saying sugar is not toxic is absolutely incorrect.

    2. All of u really need to “get a life””
      If u hate it that much and concerned so -JUST DON ‘T BUY IT !!!!!
      Go to ur own kitchen and fix whatever and however u want it from whatever ingredients u want it.
      The rest of us will b just fine with that and enjoy Starbuck’s drink whenever we feel like it with out ur input.

  2. why not just be honest about what is in it? I don’t understand. HFCS is in a lot of foods and the companies display this, if you put it in your product be honest about it.

    There are new rules for food labelling in the EU and people say it wont be followed. Why can’t we know what is in a product esp allergens?

  3. Hi Food Babe, I’ve been Vegan for just over 1 year and I’m livid at the amount of non vegan ingredients used in things that should be vegan. I enjoy a Starbucks a couple times per week and I recently discovered that a lot of the syrups aren’t vegan. It seems the staff are as much in the dark about any ingredients and unfortunately I’ve found that a lot of staff don’t understand what Vegan is 🙁 Thankfully (here in the UK at least) they use Alpro soy, so I only stick to plain old soy lattes now. I think the rule of thumb is, if it’s processed, it’s not Vegan.
    Thank you for this article. 🙂

  4. I think I do understand why companies don’t disclose all information. It’s not just because their hiding dirty facts on how they prepare. If that’s the case, then that’s just plain BS. But sometimes, with tough competition, it’s not easy for them to share information as other competitors might try and do their own version of their product. But yeah, if they’re putting something that could be dangerous to health, they definitely should find an alternative.

  5. Thanks for the information. For some time I have experienced allergy reactions from Starbucks lattes. Since the reaction (itching on ankles) came about 8 hours after I consumed the product I never suspected it. However, through trial and error and elimination I have been able to produce the same reaction repeatedly by consuming pumpkin spice or other flavored lattes. Perhaps this is anecdotal, but I’m very suspicious now. If I avoid their flavored drinks, I don’t have the problem. I’m just curious which one of the ingredients is causing this and if other people have similar reactions.

  6. I should know better but when you are depressed you do stupid things. Yesterday I didn’t have time to make my own coffee so I bought a medium-size pumpkin spice Latte without cream at Starbucks sipping it while doing my grocery shopping. I have been on a gluten free diet for over 10 years and finding lately many so-called gluten free foods are bothering me so I have been trying to avoid them and GMOs too. Almost immediately, my upper abdominal area started bloating up but I still drank the coffee. I didn’t eat much that night because my stomach was bothering and around 12:30 at night, it really hit me hard and I really suffered. My upper abdominal area was so bloated and hard as a rock and I didn’t know if the discomfort was coming from my gallbladder or liver but both hurt so bad and the pain went around my lower right back. Every breath I took was more painful and I thought I was going to need to call 911. I had tremendous gas so I took a probiotic and some aloe vera juice but nothing helped the extreme discomfort I was feeling. I started feeling nauseous and had to vomit a few times last night. I finally got up and put a heating pad on that area and fell back to sleep on the couch until I had to vomit again. I don’t know if it was the coffee or not but I felt good until I drank it. Today I still have bloating and tenderness near my gallbladder and liver and have no appetite. What a time for this to happen because I can’t eat much right now.

    1. It sounds like cholecystitis to me, I’ve seen these same symptoms 8n many if not majority of people with gallbladder issues. If you have issues such as gallstones and consume anything that irritated the gallbladder it will trigger an attack. Example, dairy, coffee, cream, oils etc. I hope that by now you’ve been able to know what that was if it has not happened again. If it’s persisted it’s worth checking out.

  7. food companies do not care about your health period! they only care about your money. Most Americans are stupid, lazy and irresponsible and simply dont care, flapping their lips and talking trash is more important than knowing anything or having an education and especially the mentality to eat correctly. if you eat or drink corporate junk food youll eventually get sick and suffer bad health at a later age and you will regret it.. If you actually stopped for 1 second to realize how cheap simple easy & healthy it is to grow and consume your own food all year round you wouldnt be stupid enough to eat food laced with poisons and toxins that only line the pockets of greedy despicable lying individuals of these corporations ” criminals” that work within them will take your money, lie to you while you pay the biggest price.

  8. Love it. Thanks for the Pumpkin Latte warning. Because Starbucks is not up front will warn people about their lattes.

    That is what bothers me, they are not upfront. That’s a beware sign to me. Like with GMO.

  9. I believe that Starbucks is owned by Pepsico. Pepsico also owns Frito Lay who admittedly uses GMOs in their products, citing that the FDA has not found them to be dangerous or harmful. They also own Quaker, as well as several other brands. It would be worthwhile to look at their website to see what all products they do own and stay clear of all of them.

      1. To Nonalarmist:
        It seems we have a difference of opinion, but if you would look at the Pepsico website under “Top Global Brands”, I believe you will see Starbucks listed. If you visit the Frito-Lay website, you will find a little blurb on there about GMOs. They state that yes, their products contain them because they have not been proven by the FDA to be detrimental to health. I have done my research, and strongly suggest that you do the same before you post.

    1. Pepsi does not own Starbucks. Even their website just says that they “formed the North American Coffee Partnership to jointly develop ready-to-drink coffee beverages.” Pespi did not buy Starbucks.

      From Pepsico’s wikipedia page: PepsiCo also has formed partnerships with several beverage brands it does not own, in order to distribute or market them with its own brands.[43] As of 2010, its partnerships include: Starbucks (Frappuccino, DoubleShot and Iced Coffee), Unilever’s Lipton brand (Lipton Brisk and Lipton Iced Tea), and Dole (licensed juices and drinks).

  10. Thanks for a marvelous posting! I genuinely enjoyed reading
    it, you happen to be a great author. I will always bookmark your blog and will come back later in life.
    I want to encourage you continue your great posts, have a nice morning!

  11. Here’s a crazy thought, if you feel something is bad for you, DON’T EAT IT. But please leave it on the shelf for me, and I’ll make up my own mind about the level of risk I’m prepared to take in my life. I fly and travel by car, these things might also kill me.

  12. Starbucks uses chemicals to decaffeinate and is not transparent about it.
    Direct Contact Decaffeination

    In the direct contact method of decaffeination chemicals (other than water) are used on green coffee beans (milled but not yet roasted) with the goal of dissolving and extracting the caffeine.

    A direct contact decaffeination method uses chemicals in direct contact with the coffee beans and also may utilize supercritical carbon dioxide, which is carbon dioxide stored at a high pressure and temperature so it may be used as a decaffeination agent.

    The direct contact method typically involves steaming green coffee beans for ½-hour and then rinsing them repeatedly with ethyl acetate or methylene chloride for approximately ten hours.

    After the solvent is drained from the coffee beans they are steamed again for another ten hours with the goal of removing any residual solvent.

  13. Writing about Starbucks products is not a great topic to get into, especially when you are referring to something like the pumpkin spice latte. Everything in the latte is stated on the website, and its pretty safe to assume that there is espresso, milk, and flavoring in a latte. If you are uncomfortable with the ingredients in the latte, then don’t drink it. It really is that easy. Onto sugar- Sugar is, in a way, toxic. It is inflammatory and addictive, and should only be used in moderation. Pinpointing one drink in one mainstream company does absolutely nothing in the way of helping people change their lives and decisions surrounding what they are eating/drinking on a daily basis. This article serves no purpose.

    1. What are you doing on this website if you do not want to know what ingredients are in products for sale in the USA? We an agency that is supposed to be handling these type of things: the FDA. However, they are not doing their job. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/jsass/usfda_allows_chemicals_in_food.html
      Maybe this website is not perfect but provides more information then most companies are willing to give. People can make their own choices but we have a right to know whats in our food.

  14. It is demonstrably false that 50 gm of sugar is even remotly toxic. Otherwise Starbucks would be inundated with corpses in their stores as people drop dead all around them.

    Sugar is as toxic as coffee, water or oranges, in high enough doses it can kill you. But I’m talking really high, like drinking 3 gallons of water in 10 minutes, kind of doses

  15. Just some “Food” for thought

    -Most organic milk is UHT (That’s why it doesn’t need to be refrigerated.) Lower protein, folate, and vitamin count. And get this, it’s contains multiple compounds that are on the IARC Group 2B carcinogens list.
    -50g of sugar is the same amount of sugar found in 2/3 cup of dried apricots. Don’t even ask what raisins have. Your Kool-aid must taste horrible. And by your definition all Honey is Monsanto Honey. Bees go and eat what they want no matter what signs you put up.
    -Most Organic milk is not free range. Your cows are not happy. (Nor are your chickens or soybeans)

  16. Food Babe, I’d like to give a book of yours (I have one) to someone I know but I don’t know if they would read it. What is the key to get a person who is not interested in health, interested? It seems they either get it or they don’t.

    1. I have found that people at first seem interested in their health, but there are so many lies, so they think when you talk about healthy eating and ingredients they are just trying to sell you another product. But eventually, the truth comes out.

      I even remember telling someone they were crazy (it wasn’t about health) but then I got a little more mature and realized they were right. If the truth is not introduced, it becomes hidden and unknown.

      Speak your truth.

  17. I love the latte recipe. This large size pumpkin Starbucks latte is looking so delicious and mouth watering. I love it. Thank you for sharing this great article.

  18. I love the latte recipe. This large size pumpkin Starbucks latte is looking so delicious and mouth watering. I love it. Thank you for sharing this great article.

  19. I’m with you Informed. The war on sugar is insane! If we’re getting technical, yes, sugar feeds cancer. You know what else feeds almost exclusively on sugar? Your brain. Fact. If you don’t eat enough sugar, your body will manufacture the molecules that make it up.

  20. Do you have an update on Starbucks Pumpkin Spice ingredients?
    I’m telling my friends that this drink isn’t healthy, but because this article is 6 years old, they claim Starbucks has moved leaps and bounds since. They’re using the words like “Color and Natural flavoring” Starbuck is still hiding the true ingredients.

  21. Pumpkin Spice is a spice blend. It has nothing to do with needing pumpkin in it. I don’t know why you call out Starbucks for not having pumpkin in their PSLs when you don’t even include pumpkin as an ingredient in your homemade PSL recipe.

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