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Top 5 Ways To Get Sabotaged at Starbucks

Trying to navigate through the maze of what is offered at Starbucks can be pretty daunting – hopefully this information will clear up any nagging thoughts about what’s REALLY in their food and drinks. I couldn’t help but shake my head at the things I uncovered, which had me asking – how many times have people unknowingly gotten sabotaged at Starbucks?

Earlier this year, it was revealed that Starbucks was using crushed up bugs to color their Strawberry Frappuccinos. Luckily, they responded to the public outcry from the vegan community and eliminated that beetle juice (which is linked to allergies). You’d think they would have taken the time to clean up the rest of their menu, but no such luck. Did you know that Starbucks uses ingredients that are scarier than bugs and could even be harmful to your health? That’s where the real sabotage begins…

food babe - starbucks

 

Top 5 Ways To Get Sabotaged At Starbucks:

1. Coffee

You might think it is a bit radical to suggest not drinking their most prized ingredient that makes over 85,000 different combination of drinks, but it’s also radical drinking and paying a premium for coffee that’s ridden with potential toxins. Let’s get real here, they do not actually serve organic coffee at most Starbucks locations, which means (like all brands of conventional coffee) it’s been sprayed with pesticides. We all know Starbucks coffee ain’t cheap, but most people don’t know that regular consumption of conventional coffee can be a serious source of pesticide exposure.

Starbucks coffee is grown all over the world in developing nations. The United States doesn’t regulate the type and amount of pesticides foreign countries use in their production of coffee beans, which makes consuming non-organic coffee on a regular basis pretty risky. You could be drinking toxins from pesticides that are in fact banned here in the United States but not else where, like the pesticide Chlorpyrifos that is a contact poison. It has caused human deaths, and has been linked to birth defects. It is extremely toxic to birds, freshwater and marine organisms, bees, and other wildlife.

Furthermore, we know that increased exposure to pesticides are linked to birth defects, nerve damage and cancer. The President’s Cancer Panel has urged us not to consume food sprayed with pesticides and doesn’t believe any amount is safe.

And in regards to their decaf… did you know that conventional decaffeinated coffees are made decaf by soaking the beans with a chemical called ethyl acetate used in nail polish and glues and a carcinogen called methylene chloride?

2. Soy Latte (or anything else with Starbucks organic soy milk)

Logically, it makes sense to choose organic soy milk, since Starbucks decided to eliminate organic cow’s milk as an option a few years ago. But not so fast. Starbucks organic soy milk has one ingredient they would rather you not know about. This ingredient was recently highlighted in a report generated by the Cornucopia Institute and echoed in a recent NYTimes article about non-organic ingredients allowed in organic food. One of those questionable ingredients is carrageenan, which is derived from seaweed and is in Starbucks branded organic soy milk. This substance is reported to cause intestinal inflammation and can be become a carcinogen once it is digested.

How such an ingredient became allowed in organic food is bigger than just Starbucks. However, companies ultimately make the decision to use or not to use these harmful ingredients.
Carrageenan can also be found in other Starbucks food and drink products including their cakes, scones, yogurt and Light Frappuccinos.

3. Baked Goods & Other Food Offerings

Sure, Starbucks made a commitment a couple of years ago to eliminate transfat, artificial colors, and high fructose corn syrup from their food products. They said they listened to us and responded and even state on their website their bakery products are made with “high quality, simple ingredients. However, I think Starbucks may need a hearing aid. Just because a company gets rid of certain ingredients doesn’t automatically make the food completely natural or real or free of GMOs.  For example, the Reduced Fat Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake and Iced Lemon Pound Cake both have over 70 ingredients!

Starbucks Coffee Cake

Iced Lemon Pound Cake

Ingredients in Starbucks food products still include:

  • Refined Flours – White flour that has been stripped of its nutrients (and sometimes bleached) and provides nothing but empty calories that contribute to chronic disease & obesity.
  • Chemically Derived Sugars – Some products like the lemon pound cake contain 6 different types of processed sugars (e.g. powdered sugar, glycose syrup, corn syrup, maltodextrin, dextrose, etc.).
  • Preservatives – The Mayo Clinic reported that the preservative sodium benzoate (an ingredient found in the Iced Lemon Pound Cake) may increase hyperactivity in children. Also, when sodium benzoate combines with ascorbic acid (vitamin C) benzene can form a carcinogen and kill DNA cells, accelerating aging.
  • Growth Hormone  Starbucks has eliminated growth hormone milk in their core dairy products, but not in their food products. That means you could be still be ingesting a substance that has been reported to cause breast, colon and prostate cancers.
  • Cellulose Gum – This a filler made from wood pulp your body can’t even digest.
  • Proplyene Glycol – This is an ingredient in the Apple Fritter and Reduced Fat Cinnamon Swirl Cake, which is derived from petroleum and a key chemical that can be found in anti-freeze.
  • Azodicarbonamide – This substance, found in Starbucks croissants, is banned in the U.K., Europe and Australia, and if used in Singapore can result in fines up to $450,000 and a 15 year prison sentence! This ingredient has been reported to cause asthmatic symptoms in people who inhale it and can also increase certain food sensitivities.
  • Genetically Modified Ingredients (GMOs) Several of the listed ingredients are likely genetically modified. We’ll never know for sure how much of Starbucks products are genetically modified since they are currently not required to be labeled in this country. But we do know that the consumption of GMO foods poses a serious threat to our health and have been linked to toxicity, allergic reactions and fertility issues.
  • Cheap Oils  Soy, canola or corn oil can be found in almost all of Starbucks’ products. Over-consumption of these cheap oils are causing an abundance of Omega 6 fatty acids in our diets. The imbalance of Omega 6 fatty acids increases the risk of inflammation, heart disease, obesity, and prostate and bone cancer.

food babe - starbucks

4. “Refreshers” Beverage

This brand new drink that just came out last week gives the allure of fresh and real, but it’s anything but. The ingredients are the same for both flavors of the refresher drinks. What?  How can one taste like “Cool Lime” and the other one taste like “Berry Hibiscus” when they have both have the same base ingredients? Huh?  Looking at the two different boxes these “handcrafted” drinks came out of, the ingredients read:

Starbucks Refreshers Beverage: Water, Sugar, White Grape Juice Concentrate, Natural Flavors, Natural Green Coffee Flavor, Citric Acid, Erythritol, Antioxidant (Ascorbic Acid E300), Rebaudioside A (Stevia)

Starbucks calls white grape juice concentrate (which involves heating the juice to high temperatures and adding some chemicals to get a more condensed product) “real fruit juice.”  The only difference between the two drinks was the addition of freeze dried lime to one drink and freeze dried blackberries to the other. I guess that explains how they “handcraft” it.  McDonalds must also handcraft their burgers when they put the bun on them, huh?

It is interesting that Green Coffee Extract was not actually in the drink like they advertise. It is included in the refresher products they sell packaged in the store, but not in the version baristas make behind the counter. Is this their way of tricking us into buying a cheaper derivative of Green Coffee – just the flavor and not the extract?

When I realized that both drinks contained added sugar as the second ingredient and “natural flavor,” I immediately knew this drink was pure JUNK. Manufactured natural flavor is contributing to what David Kessler (former head of the FDA) calls a “food carnival” in your mouth.  This makes it difficult to stop eating or drinking because the flavors they have synthesized trick your mind into wanting more and more. Starbucks doesn’t give us the full essence of a hibiscus or cucumber mint – just the best 1 millionth part of the taste – so we only want more of that product, which in turns fills Starbucks’ pockets. When companies use manufactured flavor, they literally are “hijacking” your taste buds one-by-one.

Please note, natural flavor is found in almost all of Starbucks products, not just this new drink. Their smoothies are also made with a product that comes from a box and contains juice concentrate with natural flavors and natural color as opposed to 100% real fruit. I should also note that their mocha chocolate sauce, used to flavor many drinks and their chocolate smoothie, still contain high fructose corn syrup, too. They haven’t eliminated high fructose corn syrup in their drinks, only their food. This is yet another marketing trick Starbucks has played on us.

Want to know what else could be lurking in natural flavors? Check out this video. 
food babe - starbucks frap

5. Frappuccinos

Did you know the CEO of Starbucks doesn’t even drink Frappuccinos? And I think I’ve figured out why. Frappuccinos are full of refined or artificial sugars, natural and artificial flavors, GMOs, and a substance called caramel coloring. California recently included caramel coloring on its annual list of carcinogens that require warning labels.

Coffee Frappuccino Syrup: Sugar, Water, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Xanthan Gum (E415), Preservative: Potassium Sorbate (E202), Citric Acid (E330), Caramel Color (E150d)

Light Coffee Frappuccino Syrup: Water, Sugar, Erythritol (E968), Natural Flavors, Salt, Carrageenan (E407), Xanthan Gum (E415), Maltodextrin, Preservative: Potassium Sorbate (E202), Citric Acid (E330), Reb A, Color: Caramel (E150d, E150b)

Mocha Sauce: Corn Syrup, Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar, Cocoa (processed with alkali 13%), Potassium Sorbate (preservative E202), Artificial Flavor.

This type of caramel isn’t the stuff you make at home by cooking sugar. This caramel color is manufactured by heating ammonia and sulfites under high pressure, which creates carcinogenic compounds. Caramel color is classified into four different classes; Class IV being the worst and the one that is listed on the Starbucks Frappuccino label. Whether you choose the regular or light version of a Frappuccino, you are getting a dose of this known carcinogen proven to cause liver tumors, lung tumors, and thyroid tumorsin rats and mice.

When The Center for Science in the Public Interest studied two different brands of soda earlier this year, they found that both had dangerous levels of caramel coloring and could be contributing to thousands of cancers in the US. This prompted Coke and Pepsi to quickly change their formulas so they didn’t have to include the cancer warning label on their products in California. I wonder what level of carcinogenic compounds a Frappuccino has, don’t you? Maybe someone should test it. I think it should be removed altogether from the FDA’s approved list of additives considering this substance is only added for cosmetic reasons and serves no real purpose!

Frappuccinos aren’t the only products at Starbucks that contain caramel coloring, the “Perfect” Oatmeal even has it! This is alarming to say the least, considering the oatmeal is one of the most popular and “safer” sounding menu items at Starbucks. To quote Starbucks, “The most important meal of the day is the first. So why not make it nutritious and delicious?” I’m not sure if consuming carcinogens first thing in the morning is really nutritious, are you?
food babe - starbucks free internet

Despite all these ways in which Starbucks can sabotage me, I have to be honest, I still like to use their free internet when traveling. Many of the stores now carry bananas, organic dried fruit, and some quality granola bars without synthetic ingredients that I would buy if I needed a snack. I always read the label no matter what I am buying just to be sure.

My favorite treat to get at Starbucks is absolutely free. They will give a cup of hot water to anyone that asks (don’t forget to leave a good tip for the barista – it’s not their fault Starbucks is sabotaging you). Since I always carry a few extra bags of organic tea with me, I know I can always have a healthy beverage on the go from Starbucks for free anytime I like. I also like to use this free hot water option to make my own quick cooking oatmeal while traveling too.

XOXO,

Food Babe

P.S. If you have a friend or family member that drinks Starbucks – or is wasting their money while getting sabotaged at the same time, please share this information with them. I know they will be incredibly grateful, and will likely save a few bucks now too.

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225 responses to “Top 5 Ways To Get Sabotaged at Starbucks

  1. I love all of the research you do & information you provide. It has really taken a load off of this mother of 3 with the world’s most skeptical relatives in regard to anything I have to say about nutrition…Organics… GMO’s etc… Even my sister, a gifted physician (anesthesiologist) aka “everyone in the family’s go to person for anything health related, unfortunately that includes nutrition info which, like most doctors, she was not required to learn much about)

    I can only drink decaf so the last part of this post kind of left me at a loss… I typically drink teas, not coffee, always decaf. I would appreciate some guidance from your camp on the best choices.
    Thank you kindly

    1. My advice to you Claudia, is to stay away from coffee altogether, but if you’re going to have it, definitely stay away from decaf. The chemical process the coffee goes thru to become decaf, is worse than the caffeine itself.

      I switched over to Dandy Blend which is an instant hot beverage and Teeccino which gets brewed just like coffee. Both are made from beet, chicory roots and other natural foods.

      1. I’d like to add to this that there are brands which offer naturally decaffeinated coffees (it’s quite expensive though). Mountain Water Process decaffeination is decaffeination without chemicals. Mountain Water Decaf uses only water and carbon filters to decaffeinate our organically grown coffee beans. By using this process, 97% of the available caffeine is removed without the use of chemical solvents. Mountain Water decaffeinated coffee gives you the chemical-free, full-flavor Decaf that you have come to expect from Cafe Altura.
        find it here: (among other places)
        http://www.alloit.com/product/352479-decaf-dark-roast

        Also, Starbucks DOES sell one kind of organic coffee, it’s Organic Yukon roast and it’s great!
        http://www.starbucks.com/coffee/medium/organic-yukon-blend

    2. Claudia,
      I am not an expert, but it sounds like you were asking about teas? If you want a good safe tea, pick it yourself. Learn about each plant before you try it, then, make sure you are harvesting plants from an area that has never(if that’s not possible, not for many years) had any pesticides introduced. Pine Needle tea is an excellent source of vitamin C and gives you a great kick in the morning. Cut the needles up so they are small, place into boiling water, steep to taste. Make sure they are higher than a dog can pee and there aren’t any cropdusters nearby.

      1. You know what’s even phenomenallly easier?? Mighty Leaf, they’ve been organic and gmo before it was popular. Go to your local health food store where you can choose loose leaf teas and additions like chamomile and turkish mint. Pine is really gross and so is chicory. Organic, slow roasted coffee is out there… it’s okay to drink it, people have been drinking coffee for centuries.. it’s not that evil, really.

    3. The water at starbucks most likely has not gone through reverse osmosis and Advanced Micron processes therefore leaving Fluoride and other things like Arsenic, Chromium6, MTBE, Trace pharmaceuticals, Chlorine etc. if it comes from the city water you can be sure it is tainted.

    4. Um…really?? There is a HYPERLINK IN THIS ARTICLE TO THE TEA SHE CARRIES WITH HER. Recommendation, done!! How complicated is it to click on a link?? It’s Stash Organic Teas, which are at the bottom of no end of controversies themselves, starting with being USDA “certified Organic”. You can buy the stuff on Amazon and have it delivered, as you are SO intensely busy handling your brood.

      1. Thanks so much for taking from your time to reply. I only see black & white, so if there is a hyperlink, I missed it. I am sorry that my oversight had such a negative impact on you SO AS TO CAUSE YOU TO TYPE SHOUT lol and thanks for taking the time to reply. Buddah be with you (;

    1. Starbucks also has Organic Shade-Grown Mexico. It’s a great tasting coffee that is not only organic, but grown without chopping down trees. 🙂

  2. Certified Organic King of Coffee by Organo Gold http://www.thecoffeemonster.organogold.com is infused with certified organic Ganoderma Lucidum (aka Red Reishi) which is great for the body in many ways. We all know organic is better, and now with Ganoderma your acidic coffee is more pH neutral causing less dehydration and smoothing out the energy curve when caffeine buzz drops off. Organo Gold is the coffee that pays you! Available in 30+ countries and growing you can purchase at retail or wholesale.

  3. Thank you for this insightful article and research! We stopped frequenting Starbucks years ago mainly due to the fact that they do not serve organic coffee among other reasons. However, one thing people should also be aware of is that, according to recent California Proposition 65 findings, all brewed coffee can be carcinogenic. In fact, the law has made it mandatory for coffee shops to display warning signs to inform people about the presence of the carcinogen, Acrylamide (Proposition 65 requires the State of California to publish a list of chemicals known to cause cancer or birth defects or other reproductive harm). This toxic chemical is not added to coffee, rather it is created via the roasting of the beans and is found in high-carbohydrate foods baked or fried at high temperatures as well. You can read more about this here: http://ronandlisa.com/2011/11/28/does-your-cup-of-coffee-contain-a-latte-of-chemicals/

      1. Hi Anna~
        Do you know if they serve this organic blend in all stores (ie: served hot)? In the past, they offered one organic option, but it was only sold by the bag and not as a beverage.

      2. Starbucks does rotate their coffees each week while keeping their main roast, Pike Place, always brewing. Not sure if Organic Yukon ever makes it into the rotation though … I used to work there (hence my probable bias – it is a great company to work for IMO) anyway, when I first started we got to choose what we brewed each week like “barista’s choice”. I think now it’s more regimented or regularly scheduled. Not sure though – you could probably stop in and ask. Oh, and that reminds me – you can ALWAYS ask to have them do a “pour over” of whatever kind of coffee you want to have brewed, you just might have to wait a little bit for it. They should be more than happy to accommodate (though during rush times I will say that as a former barista that was a *little* annoying to have ppl request that bc it does take a while). Anyway, best of luck! 🙂

  4. I have been drinking coffee and eating a lot from Pret a Manger bc they claim to have organic coffee and foods. I would love to hear the Food Babe’s opinion on Pret.

  5. Not sure if you have Planet Smoothie in your area or not, but someone needs to expose there ingredients too.

  6. Like thecoffeeguy said, making coffee is a long, drawn out process. As even was mentioned in this article, most coffee is made in under-resourced countries – as in, these farmers don’t use chemical pesticides anyway. Coffee, which grows as a fruit known as a cherry, much SOAK in water for MONTHS before drying out for more MONTHS. This process alone would wash off any pesticides used. Then the outer fruit is cracked off, revealing the bean. That bean is then roasted in high heat. I wish she would have put even half as much research into learning about the actual product as she did in scaring people away from it. Coffee is actually healthy for the body. Many farmers rely on coffee farming for survival and are even developing new products from the coffee cherries, like coffee teas. A good book to read is “God in a Cup” – very informative on the coffee industry, both globally and state-side.

  7. Honestly?! All those ingredients are in the majority of foods on grocery store shelves across the states. Unless you grow 100% of your entire diet organically you are not going to get away from those things. I have to watch my food labels pretty close, as I’m allergic to dairy and wheat, but a lot of the sensationalism I see on some of these blogs is ridiculous.

    1. Hello, Green Tea Lattes contains whatever kind of milk you get in them, sugar, and green tea. If you get them sweetened (with classic syrup) they will additionally contain citric acid (Vit C) and potassium sorbate. To keep the drink as pure as possible, I recommend ordering it with no ‘classic.’ Sincerely, Sbux Barista who reads all the labels. P.S. Please check out my comment below on the false claim of High Fructose Corn Syrup in the smoothie. Thanks!

  8. Since when has Starbucks proclaimed itself to be a healthy alternative to anything?? Food Babe, you’re off your game and your meds.

      1. I’ve seen your posts many times, and you’re very deluded and seeking attention. Tell me what you have eaten that is healthy 100%. I could find flaws in everything you eat or drink… or even use on yourself for that matter… (deodorant, shampoo, etc.) Try me.

      2. I have to agree with Josh here. I would guess and say that 99.99% of the food on the market in the USA has at the minimum one ingredient you would find negative, whether it causes cancer or some strange internal problem. This is just how our American food is, and will be. As everyone notices, organic food is more expensive than “normal” food (and normal, I mean the 99.99% of food in America). Organic is more expensive because of the processing (and the product itself). It’s much cheaper for companies to use lab-made products in their food, and well, this is what we have to deal with every single time we shop for food to consume. Or even shop for anything that’s going to touch our body inside and outside.

        Your website is awesome and I love reading the articles and the research, but sometimes it goes overboad – almost to the point of someone will think “well, geez, I just can’t eat anything at all!” It’s very educating to know all this garbage in food and helps us all become more “aware” and better shoppers. I’m not trying to defend these companies that make food, nor Starbucks. I personally never go to Starbucks, unless a friend drags me there.

        But let’s be real here. The baby boomers, Gen X and Y, and Millennials generations have been and will continue eating this “normal” food all our lives, and we all seem to still function properly – until someone does a lifetime case study and convinces us otherwise.

  9. The claim that Starbucks Banana Chocolate Smoothie or ANY drink made at a Starbucks with Mocha Sauce contains High Fructose Corn Syrup is FALSE. The ingredients list you are citing comes from the commercially sold Fontana brand Mocha Sauce that is available for public purchase or for businesses that serve Starbucks coffee to purchase. It is NOT what is used in corporate Starbucks stores. Starbucks stores make their own mocha sauce with water and powder every day. The powder that baristas use to make the mocha sauce every day contains: Sugar, Cocoa, Vanilla. Please consider retracting.

    1. If what you say is true then someone needs to educate the folks who work behind the counter at Starbucks. When I asked what kind of sweetener was used in my frapp I was told that high fructose corn syrup was used for everything.

    2. Jess – I have a picture of the ingredients and confirmation from Starbucks Customer Service via email. There will be no retraction.

    3. I’ve had many locations confirm this:

      Mocha Powder: Sugar, Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Chocolate Liquor, Potassium Sorbate, Vanillin. Water is added to make the syrup.

    4. I just spoke with a long time Starbucks employee and the Mocha sauce does NOT have corn syrup. It’s the powdered mixed with water. The Semi-Sweet Fontana brand on their website is NOT sold in stores.

  10. PESTICIDE PARAGRAPH IS PURE SPECULATION BY FOOD BABE. Starbucks uses coffee farms from around the world. It is true that international laws on pesticide use may vary and may not be as regulated as U.S. laws. HOWEVER, Starbucks itself regulates the process that ALL their coffee growers use, AND they hire third party, independent companies to do environmental checks on their procedures. Starbucks coffee is NOT unregulated. It may not be organic, but that does not mean it is running amok with all sorts of chemicals that are banned in the U.S. That paragraph is all speculation and no evidence or fact.

    1. I would also like to add that coffee, itself, is a natural pesticide. Though it is a mild stimulant for the human body, the effects on an insect tends to mean death for the critter.

  11. The funny thing is, this makes me want Starbucks right now. 1) I don’t mind bugs in my Strawberries and Cream Frappe because there are bugs in my Peanut Butter. 2) I don’t trust anything the state of California says. 3) The coffee beans have been washed many times and processed so the levels of pesticides are negligible. Also, any coffee bean that is ground is no longer organic. 4) I don’t buy Starbucks because it is healthy. As an adult, it is a treat. I buy myself a treat. If I get one for anyone under the age of 14 I get them hot chocolate or frappacino blended creams, no coffee base, no caffeine.

    Being healthy is about moderation. As someone with Criggler-Najjar Syndrome I know a lot about it. It is my life every day. As a natural omnivore my body requires animal protein (it is easier for my body to process), fruits, vegetables and starches. My body also wants things like caffeine, processed sugars and the like. To deny myself a little treat now and then would just make me crave it more and then binge later.

    So in short, live a little. Enjoy the little things, like a scary, cancer causing coffee or some lemon pound cake. I promise you’ll enjoy it.

  12. To Jess – if what you say is true, then someone needs to educate the folks working behind the counter at Starbucks. When I asked what sweetener was used in my frapp I was told that high fructose corn syrup was used in everything.

    1. I agree that some baristas are under-trained OR do not take the time to walk over and read the ingredients for themselves. I have noticed this seems to be especially true in non-corporate sores like those found inside Target or groceries. While none of the flavor syrups at Starbucks contain HFCS I can’t varify at this time that the ‘Frappuccino Base’ does not. It’s an ingredient used in Frapps to make it blend more smoothly and improve the texture, and also adds some flavor. And I think it’s probably the worse thing behind the counter at Sbux. And I think the Light base used in light frapps is even worse, because it contains gluten. So if I were going to advise anyone to stay away from something at Starbucks, it would be the Frappuccinos. If you want a cold drink, you can always get other espresso drinks ‘iced’ and it will be made cold, but not blended, with the same good ingredients used in the hot drinks. I will go and double check the frapp base ingredients asap.

  13. Most of the pesticides in coffees and teas are the result of multiple fumigation sprayings between their country of origin and the US. They can be sprayed dozens of times.

  14. I noticed the date and that’s why I’m under the impression that this is being recycled without being updated. If this was posted in July of 2012 and Starbucks didn’t switch to La Boulange until this year…

  15. “Beetle juice” is actually a natural ingredient that has been used in different kinds of cooking for ages. It sounds gross, but it’s not unnatural. If you’re vegan you might object on moral grounds, or it might sound icky to the average joe. But it’s not bad for you health.

    1. Exactly. Its been used for ages. Vegans, and people with sensitivities/allergies should be the only ones that take issue with it.

  16. If you want real organic coffee go to Jamaica, there blue mountain peak is the best. Saw a documentary on the travel channel and there process is natural from trees to product. A bit pricey but good!

  17. Rachel’s comment about coffee needing to soak for months is hokum. I grow coffee. The cherry can actually be soaked off in a few days. Then the bean, in its inner husk, needs dried for a few days before that husk comes off.
    I’ve had similar difficulties getting the straight scoop from starbucks about food issues, primarily their decision to outsource their baked goods instead of having local bakeries provide them–they even ship in bananas to the hawaii stores, believe it or not. And I’m really sorry for the bind this puts the baristas in–people want to be proud of what they sell, and it’s hard when corporate keeps supplying you with unhealthy stuff.
    All this said, I like starbucks. A lot. I just wish they spent more time doing the right thing and less time on greenwash justifications of what they are doing…

  18. Dear food babe!
    I love your site, and thank you so much for sharing all that with us! I wanted to know. Don’t USA agencies test import food for level and kind of pesticides before to let them enter the country?

    Thanks in advance!

    best,

    Chris

  19. Dear Food Babe,

    You claim “hot water is the best drink at Starbucks” clearly you haven’t tried the caramel frap/ passion iced tea/ black tea lemonade. You’re missing out! Also, if you despise Starbucks so much, why are you using it as a potential office? I understand having an opinion is one thing, but trying to “sabotage” a company is another.

    Ps. Starbucks made 13 billion dollars last year, it must be doing something right!

    All the best!

  20. We’ve known all along how ‘bad’ Stbx food & drinks are, and that you have to choose wisely the few items listed on their menu that aren’t ‘so’ bad for you.

    Thank goodness the light frappes don’t have High Fructose Corn Syrup! But looks like the light frappes still have some nasty ingredients!

    Maybe my hubby & I shouldn’t be paying a $15-$20 bill at Stbx for food & a drink they continuously mess up for the last several times we’ve gone, only to poison ourselves with their putrid ingredients :s

    I choose a healthy body over a fattening, poisoning, pricey, 10minute enjoyment with intense after-guilt & an upset tummy ta’boot!

    I’m officially grossed out in more ways than one!

  21. Food Babe, I just got in a huge argument with one of my best friends, who happens to work at Starbucks Corporate. She says the oatmeal does not have caramel coloring. I’ve gone to Starbucks website, in person to stores and called them on the phone. They say it’s “just plain brown sugar” in the topping, and “just steel cut oats” in the oatmeal. Can you please show me a source for where you got your information that it contains E150d?

    1. I also asked this question via email, and was directed back to this post as a source. You cannot use your own post as a source!! Please, can you post a link to your source of where you got the information that Starbucks’ oatmeal contains E150d. Thank you!

      1. There is a lot of misinformation on this post. I work at Starbucks and would be happy to take pictures of the oatmeal package for you that lists the ingredients. It is only steel cut oats. I will post link to pic as a reply asap.

        I also posted link to pic below proving that Sbux Mocha sauce does not contain HFCS.

  22. WOW, I cannot believe it took me this long to stumble on your website after a friend of mine posted on her FB for someone to tell her you were lying about the ingredients. It’s so sad people really do NOT know what is in their food, what they are eating, or where it comes from! I guess I thought that by now (I started my crusade against additives/processed food about 8 years ago after some serious health issues), people would have gotten a little more educated, but I guess not! And it’s so sad that they don’t WANT to know. Wish we could be friends! I need more people around me who understand, because I know my family does NOT get it.

  23. I’m going to make the Starbucks decision even easier for everyone – choose not to go there!
    Reason being that Starbucks sides with the Grocery Manufacturer’s association on the subject of GMO labeling. Meaning that they don’t want you to know what you’re putting in your body! They believe it is better to hide from the consumers what is in their products.
    You can help! Please sign the petition and show your support! http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/safeway-starbucks-and

  24. The pastries in Starbucks here, in NYC, have changed. They are all from La Boulange. Also, just noticed today the milk boxes they sell for kids contain carrageenan. Shame on Starbucks!

    1. I agree it’s a shame that milk boxes contain carageenan. However, it’s not really a ‘shame on Starbucks’ situation, because ALL boxed milk, including soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, contain carageenan. As well as many other packaged foods. You MAY find an obscure local company that doesn’t have it, but you will be hard pressed. Every single box of every kind of milk at Whole Foods and my local hippy food co-op contains it. It’s endemic, and seen as a necessary ingredient to make boxing milk possible.

  25. Regardless of how you feel about all this, I think it’s pretty shady to go to an establishment, order “hot water” for free, and then bring in your own food and use their free wifi to blog about them sabotaging the world.

    1. I join the critics. I just about stumbled into your website and I cannot help it but unfollow. I am sure the work you did/do in some of the items are remarkable for you capture limelight but this topic on Starbucks really, really turned me off for many things & ‘sabotaging’ their space meant for a paying customer/patron is just one of them. just fyi – I do not drink coffee or work for Starbucks. I do love chemistry though & do want to learn about harmful chemicals in what we eat. But citing presence of certain compounds in some of these items without the fine print of under what conditions they react to produce harmful chemicals just points towards lack of mastery where a little knowledge can be dangerous. the incorrect information about presence of HFCS (which I neither knew nor needed to because I am not a coffee drinker) only added to what I was concluding. Lets not be chicken little in our very noble quest to eat and live healthy. Cheers!

  26. LOL, well glad I rarely (3x per year tops) drink coffee from places like Starbucks. Geez it’s as bad as smoking. When will Starbucks not be allowed within 200 ft of a school or bus stop?

  27. so you might wanna update your information to current ingredients, your rant about the pastries and sandwiches is a little outdated, people asked for healthier options so we bought a juice company and a bakery and changed everything, the case is full of all new items which are made with real ingredients and lack the preservatives and other gmo ingredients you talk about, the breakfast sandwiches got an overhaul as well, and while yes the old pastries are still in some stores, they are going away, you should have probably mentioned that somewhere there, it just doesn’t happen over night, some things take time.

    while u were correct is saying there WAS high fructose corn syrup in some of our things, it has since been removed from EVERYTHING but the caramel drizzle, it is not in our mocha sauce, i make it i should know. as far as getting on the healthy bandwagon, Starbucks is trying, the demand is there but the supply is not, you just cant expect a business to find all new supplies and enough of them to make everything healthy overnight, that’s just not going to happen.

    we dont own fontana the supplier of our syrups, and while yes it would be lovely to have certain ingredients like caramel coloring removed, its not entirely ours to control.

    about certain things in our products like carrageean, that’s in every manufactured product out there, so unless you make your “boxed milk” from scratch you are going to see it in the list of ingredients sorry but that one is bigger than we are.. ask for a glass id be happy to pour you one.

    as for our oatmeal it has changed recipes three times to the demand of our patrons bercause of the extra ingredients, and it steel cut oats… nothing else… really.

    alot of our coffee comes from sustainable fair trade farms, and there are organic options, they are working to make more of the coffee fair trade and organic, but again, that is something that takes time, we can brew you whatever cup of coffee you want, i dont mind grabbing a bag of organic Yukon or fair trade Italian and making you a pour over, its not that hard….. you just have to ask.

    Green Coffee Extract was never hidden from the customer to trick you into drinking coffee, it was our number 1 talking point about the new drink.

    have you even met the CEO.. i have, a few times, hes a super nice guy that cares about his employees and his customers. when customers speak he listens unlike most of the other corporate America jobs out there, changes are being made, maybe not as fast as you want them, but they are being done.

    I really liked the stuff you post it was informative, good information that seemed to be researched very well before posting, but now i dont know, you didnt really get this one right… maybe you’d be better of sitting at McDonald’s with your hot water.

    1. Bad grammar, run-on sentences, capitalization, too long to read…nevertheless, I don’t believe anything you posted.

      1. Regardless of his/her grammar, everything said in that post is true. You can choose not to believe based on someones sentence structure, or you can go find out the truth for yourself. The information is freely available.

      2. I believe that Starbucks is one of the BETTER companies out there with actual compassion for their employees and customers. As long as changes are being made, that is a start. I respect the work that FOOD BABE does so let’s give her a chance to re-write this, if in fact things have changed.

  28. As others have mentioned before me, this post needs to be updated it you intend to keep it relevant.

    1) Interesting points though I do think your article is a tad too sensationalist. I get that this sort of writing sells, pulls in readers etc, but exaggerating risk factors and taking hypothesized correlations for granted just isn’t doing anyone a favor. If you would like to argue science, please do your research properly (dose-response relationships, statistical significance of results and so on) and report on it with accuracy for your readers’ sake.

    2) In my opinion, the best way to get sabotaged at Starbucks is by failing to ignore calorie counts on the drinks and food menu. With obesity being the greatest health problem in the US at the moment, I think that just has to be #1. The details regarding health properties of ingredients – they likely won’t have time to kill you – obesity, diabetes or heart disease will do so first.

    3) I have to give Sbux credit for some of the new items on their shelves such as the salad/bistro boxes. No, they’re not perfect but most have a good nutritional balance and reasonable ingredient list.

  29. It’s not like Starbucks is being malicious here. They never claimed to be a health food store. It’s definitely not appropriate to use the word “sabotage.” If they were making false claims, yes. But they’re not. Starbucks isn’t doing anything to you that you aren’t choosing to do.

  30. Somewhat outdated info. Starbucks is an awesome business. They r friendly, quite fast, make eye contact & always with a smile, at least here in the Carolinas!

    I think the main thing one must watch is the high calorie drinks,sugars,& the baked goods. BTW, I like the new line of baked goods (although I can’t pronounce it!). The VIA coffee is also a great product. Just ask the nurses @ the hospital. No, I am not a nurse.

    Thank you,
    Maryanne

  31. Here is a picture, clearly labeled, of Starbucks Mocha Powder used at all Starbucks stores in the US. Ingredients clearly listed, and you will not find High Fructose Corn Syrup. http://twitpic.com/dn2k2u
    Again, please consider retracting.

    Also, the Starbucks Refreshers made by baristas do contain green coffee extract. The ingredient is just listed differently as ‘green coffee flavor.’ You know this because the nutrition information for the refreshers show that it is lightly caffeinated, however there is no ingredient listed as ‘caffeine’ on the label nor any other caffeine containing ingredient, therefor it is in the green coffee ‘flavor.’

  32. You know, in the end Starbucks is just another establishment providing a “fast food” or “convenience” service for people. Yes, their food and beverages may contain some of these ingredients, but the company does put an effort into offering a wide variety of healthier options for those who want them. I’m sorry, but I don’t think people go to Starbucks to be healthy. It is a treat, where all the drinks are originally created with 2% milk and oodles of sugar. They don’t try to hide this fact however, and have put into place ways to alter their beverages for those who wish to be healthier. Show me another place that provides someone with the option to modify their drink order however they want it, while still maintaining speed, taste and high standards.

    There was a period of time when I was a completely organic vegan, and you know what? It was not convenient in any way. I’m not complaining, I knew what I was getting into and my reasons for doing it outweighed the inconvenience, but I was never under the illusion that Starbucks could cater to my high standards of organically grown and ethically minded food. What I could respect was that when something was pointed out to the company as being well, gross, the company changed it (the beetles used in the red food colouring for example.)

    Starbucks makes an effort to ensure that all their coffee is ethically sourced, and does try to provide those organic options, including certain coffees and their soy milk, for the people who want it. They also support equal opportunities for their staff and put an effort into giving back to both their local and global communities. I am vegetarian now and organic when I am able to be, but I support Starbucks, not because they are a giant global company or because they have blinded me to the realities of the food they provide, but because they do their best with what they are.

    Also, pointing out possible carcinogens sadly has lost its shock value. By even just purchasing a magazine and opening it you are exposing yourself to 3-10 carcinogens from the glue, ink, paper and other processing materials alone. It’s getting to the point where nearly everything has carcinogenic compounds within them, but hey if you provide me with a completely ethical, organic, non-wasteful, carcinogenic free coffee chain that is available in Canada, I will gladly attempt to change my patronage.

    1. OH! I forgot the most important point!

      If you don’t like/support Starbucks, then don’t go to it!

      No one is forcing you to patron their establishments. You don’t see me going to McDonald’s or Burger King and then complaining that they are being sneaky and hiding the fact that most of their food is comprised of chemicals that could make people sick. It’s a matter of logistics. Starbucks won’t suffer if you decide not to go, and you won’t have to suffer all these supposedly terrible things that they are ‘hiding’ from you.

  33. Great article, thank you!

    What are your thoughts about Thiamine Mononitrate and Mineral Oil? I saw both of those in the ingredients list but not highlighted by you.

  34. Actually, the coffee thing isn’t exactly spot on. It surprises me that FoodBabe would post something like that. It’s a well known fact that the US allows many more chemicals in the food supply than most other countries. After all, isn’t that the reason she was fighting Kraft regarding the artificial dyes in mac & cheese? While I don’t drink a lot of Starbucks coffee, I’d say their coffee is probably cleaner than anything that comes from this country!

  35. Thanks for this post today about Starbucks. Not that any of it was a surprise! But it did raise a question in my mind that I hope you will have an answer for.
    You mentioned that most decaf coffee gets that way through process using dangerous chemicals. What about the coffee’s that aren’t decaffeinated that way since its “most” but not all? Do you know those brands or what method I should be looking for to find a “safe” decaf coffee? Thanks for any input.
    Kelly

  36. A bit outdated now. Their menu has changed since the original posting of this blog article (which isn’t apparent, but you can tell by the dates of the comments). It bugs me when old articles get re-posted and on and on and on. But that is the internet for ya.

    And as far as the FDA is concerned, they have coffee beans in the head. They don’t know what they are doing half the time and the other half well let’s not go there. And the crap they let happen in this country and then require these “labels” on some types of foods but not others…well, it just makes your head spin.

    *shakes head*

  37. January 13, 2014

    I join the critics. I just about stumbled into your website and I cannot help it but unfollow. I am sure the work you did/do in some of the items are remarkable for you capture limelight but this topic on Starbucks really, really turned me off for many things & ‘sabotaging’ their space meant for a paying customer/patron is just one of them. just fyi – I do not drink coffee or work for Starbucks. I do love chemistry though & do want to learn about harmful chemicals in what we eat. But citing presence of certain compounds in some of these items without the fine print of under what conditions they react to produce harmful chemicals just points towards lack of mastery where a little knowledge can be dangerous. the incorrect information about presence of HFCS (which I neither knew nor needed to because I am not a coffee drinker) only added to what I was concluding. Lets not be chicken little in our very noble quest to eat and live healthy. Cheers!

  38. Lots of imported produce is also grown using pesticides banned in the USA. Also, in may places, raw sewage is used to irrigate and fertilize the crops.
    thanks to “free trade,” crops grown in the USA are exported to other countries where affluent consumers pay higher prices for their quality; meanwhile the American consumer is forced to pay inflated prices for imported foods of dubious quality.

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