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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
- Tell Starbucks to remove unnecessary carcinogenic caramel coloring by commenting on their Facebook and Twitter pages.
- 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.
- Join GMO Inside and sign the petition asking them to serve organic milk at all locations.
- 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!
This is honestly ridiculous. The number of people and kids who love this company and drink is way too high. I just wish they knew what they were drinking. I try telling them, they think Starbucks is all natural. Smh. I honestly feel sorry for them and this company when they get taken down.
While I appreciate your article regarding the harmful ingredients, I think it is ridiculous you would think there was pumpkin in it. It is called Pumpkin SPICE latte. I make pumpkin spice and use in my coffee or Americano year round, and sweeten with vanilla stevia. I am not surprised there is HFCS either. I think we all know they use their syrups to sweeten their drinks.
I find it interesting that so many people are making the comment that ‘pumpkin spice latte’ should not have any pumpkin in it, when ideally it should, and the phrase deliberately misleading.
The use of ‘pumpkin spice’ as a noun, is a relatively new phenomenon, perhaps within the last 20 years at most, and the expectation of said ingredient is there, when mentioned in a name or title.
If it were an ‘Apple Spice latte’ for example, the expectation of the beverage containing some kind of apple or apple flavoring agent would be there — just as it would be for pumpkin, hence the addition of artificial coloring to mimic that deep orange color.
Only prepared onsite food producers can use a food term legally, without that food actually containing the advertised ingredient — and they take good advantage of that loophole.
Purchasing a ‘pumpkin spice latte’, falsely eludes to a complete food product — a milk based coffee beverage with the traditional flavor of pumpkin pie. At best, Starbucks only delivers half of that promise.
P.S. One of my favorite pumpkin beverage recipes comes from the FatFreeVegan food blog — “Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate”.
The recipe uses chocolate, but coffee can be readily used instead.
Of course, it includes pumpkin, as it well should …
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2012/10/pumpkin-spice-hot-chocolate.html
Buy your Pumpkin Spice Latte at a Whole Foods in-house coffee bar. No HFCS, no Growth Hormones or antibiotics in the milk…
If you spent as much energy trying to find a solution to help the homeless and hungry rather than tearing down the ingredients of a Starbucks drink, which is a personal option to consume, you might make a real difference in this world.
The point is that people need to be informed. A lot of people are not aware of what is really in a starbucks drinks and the effects a lot of their ingredients have on our bodies. If more people are aware, the result is less people consuming those ingredients, meaning less children with ADHD, less people getting cancer, etc. So, she is making a HUGE difference. And, if you are so concerned about making a difference, maybe you should look towards helping the homeless/hungry as oppose to leaving comments with a spiteful tone.
There is being informed, and then there is persecution and entitlement.
It’s STARBUCKS. it’s GOING TO BE BAD FOR YOU. I think anyone who goes into a Starbucks assumes that they are going to be ingesting things that, on some level, aren’t good for them. Face it: even if a frap was vegan it still wouldn’t be health food, and it’s not marketed that way, either.
Here is how to eat healthy: raise your own plants and animals. Harvest them, and/or what they produce. Eat that. The end.
That’s the only way to actually know your food. Getting mad at large companies, regardless of if they will or won’t tell you what’s in there food, won’t change that.
Such anger.
Starbucks does support killing centers. If you don’t care about that , i am truly sorry for you. This world has become a do whatever you want to society.
The attacks by some of you leads me to believe that either you or someone close to you, has unfortunately been hurt by an abortion.
When you decide that yyou’re ready for help, I’m here for you. I have a ton of info/ resources avaiilable.
Thank you for your time.
May you be in Shalom.
You people do realize that “Pumpkin Spice” is a collection of several spices used to flavor things like Pumpkin Pie. There is no pumpkin in Pumpkin Spice. Go buy a organic, non-fat, xenobiotic free, Carmel IV free, pesticide free, bottle or bag of Pumpkin Spice and read the ingredients.
“WAKE UP PEOPLE” all of these bad chemicals and more are in the food we are buying at the grocery store ,the drive thru,school lunches and many more places. It is up to “US” the people to fight back about what the FDA is claiming safe for human consumption not the companies, do you really think these companies care about our health when they continue to line there pockets, NO I think not, because the chemicals in the food keep you coming back for more. HMMM !! I wonder where all this cancer people are getting comes from. WAKE UP WORLD use your brain and think a minute before the chemicals do.
Dear editors, thank you so much for the information you provided in here, I don’t drink coffee, only when I have to drive more than 12 hours a day… But it’s good to know what is bad for the health and stay away and at least order a cup of coffee as plain as possible and if possible from a shop where they sell organic coffee as an option…
As for those ignorant people, let them intake chemicals, the system has to work, the doctors and the hospitals they have to make their money, even the morgue will make their money, but faster…
Incredible how stupid are some folks…
Thanks again editors for the warning and for the hard work to get information!
P. S. STARBACKS = SWEET GARBAGE
Of COURSE there’s no actual pumpkin. Pumpkin is largely bland and flavorless. Most of the flavor we think of when we think of “Pumpkin flavor” is actually the spice mix used in pumpkin pie. This is something homebrewers deal with every Fall when we make pumpkin beer. Most “Pumpkin” beers are in fact “Pumpkin Pie SPICE” beers, and they can be made with or without pumpkin. You can even substitute squash for the pumpkin with no noticeable change in the beer’s flavor.
Thank you so much for posting this!!! I am (unfortunately) a fan of chai soy lattes but now I think I’ll pass! I’ve made my own healthy homemade versions in the past (just for the fun of it) but now they’re looking more and more appealing!!!
Thank you for this informative article! I have long made my own pumpkin spice coffee creamer at home out of an assumption it had to be healthier than Starbucks (turns out I was right!) – not to mention cheaper and a great thing to just have around the house.
I am very grateful to have this information. I agree with you that it is completely insane that businesses in the US not only refuse to be transparent with what they are selling us, but that they are not REQUIRED to disclose.
(My creamer recipe vegan and is available on my website listed above if you’re interested).
Thanks again, and I’m sorry people are trying to hijack the comments into a reproductive rights debate.
So they say that they understand “you” concerns, that’s rich… then they proceed to use a lot of words to say very little. I think that tells you all you need to know.
I drink Starbucks because it’s expensive. I know that the corporations of America only make things really high priced because they are high quality food and drinks. They wouldn’t put harmful chemicals in our food or beverages because they love us and only want the best for us. Shame on this article for putting facts together and creating a link that made it easy for me to find and read it. It’s as if this site is just a bunch of terrorists trying to infiltrate America with their dirty tricks and truth of what we choose to consume. Now excuse me while I finish my Happy Meal, sprawl out on my couch in a food coma, and regret the decision to ever purchase fast food again. Because after all, who cares whats in our food and drink, it’s not like you can die or have any health affects from unnatural chemicals in your body. Jeeze, leave Starbucks alone, they just want to kill you slowly like every other corporation in our beautiful country. Long live Merica’ (well, short live America!, because we’ll all be dead at 30 from high cholesterol and cancer anyway, yay!)
I’m not going to defend starbucks, but there are a few things I have trouble with in this article.
First, I used to work for Starbucks and I would show customers our ingredients listing all the time. If a customer had an allergy I’d hand over a giant tub of pumpkin spice syrup and let them read away all the ingrdients. True, this listing would not tell you what “natural or artificial flavors” were there, but it seems you didn’t get that information anyway. And no company would give you that. It’s part of their secret. Starbucks is quite transparent, so don’t make them seem like the only company who wouldn’t tell you company secrets.
Secondly, I just wanted to say to the vegans, that same goes for caramel (at least the caramel swirl on top of lattes and frappaccinos.) Hopefully you’re aware that caramel is basically milk, so don’t order that with soy milk and think it will be vegan. I would have assumed the same about pumpkin because both of those things are considered “sauces” and are much thicker….obviously containing milk.
Why do we want to police the world. Leave SB alone. Don’t go there if you don’t like them. Stop tarrying them down. They can make what they want we can choose to drink it or not. Leave them alone. They employ many people and provide great benefits to their employees. Stop being food Nazi
I always thought that’s why it’s called a “pumpkin spice” latte–because it has spices that go with pumpkin….which it does. A latte with actual pumpkin in it sounds disgusting.
Wow, I had no idea people could be so polarized about coffee! I came to this site to read what the ingredients are in a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, nothing else. Instead, I got sucked into reading all these amazingly different, complex & quite opposing comments about Food Babe’s latest “Investigation”. I learned many things… One thing is …. “Don’t mess w/people & their coffee ” ha! Another thing I learned is, that this Vani, who’s also well known as “Food Babe”, also has ANOTHER job??? Oh my goodness, HOW IN THE WORLD can she possibly hold down a full-time job w/taking all the time it must take to do all the background research she does as “Food Babe”?? Is being Food Babe a paying job or, is it something she does as a “hobby” or, as an activist? Is it her “job” to check out companies who sell products that aren’t “good for us”? If so…. Food Babe will NEVER run out of places to investigate!!! Wish I had her energy, motivation & desire to look out for “We, the People”!! Way to go, Food Babe!!!
Hmmm I don’t get it… imo Starbucks IS NOT S GOOD TASTING…. but most of my friends love it…is it good for you NO….if you go out for coffee ANYWHERE …and order anything but black coffee.. You get a sweet. Of caffeine… Oh wait sry did you all for get what your drinking ….coffee it’s not good for you but heck I drink by the pot .
No I won’t every believe I a article about bad things for you that has a link for me to buy their safer products I loose something for how lagit they really are
As for the company telling you what they put in thing would be bad for them because all the little company won’t just sell it too..
So to all a good day and have a long life
what the hellllllll i had no idea there was sugar in my starbucks…. and 50 grams????? that is definitely a toxic dose. i was wondering why it tasted so good but now i know it is because they pump it full of chemicals like sugar that alter your taste and make it better than it is
thank you food babe for exposing this corporate SCAM and CORRUPTION/GREED and i will NEVER buy from starbucks again.
cant wait for christmas i am gonna buy everything in your shop lol for fam/friends i want to teach them to be healthy like us
Why go to starbucks at all? Or any such place for that matter? The shop has the freedom to serve what it wishes, and we have the freedom to not step in their door. No big deal. This info gives me yet another reason, is all.
Unfortunately, we live in a world where money seems to be the priority instead of doing the best for people. I think the best thing to do is cook at home as much as possible. So it is nice to have a place where I can make an informed decision. (I have to also get this off my chest) There is not going to be pumpkin in ‘pumpkin pie spice’. I do think it’s cool that you put a homemade version of the drink (homemade is always better). But even in the homemade version, there is still no pumpkin because it is ‘pumpkin pie spice’.
I’m lactose intolerant, and I knew there was a problem because I would get extremely sick every time I drank a soy pumpkin spice latte. Shame shame!
It surprises me that no one would tell you what the ingredients are in the sauce. I’ve worked for Starbucks for two years and work with people who have awful allergic reactions to certain ingredients and we always read the label of any ingredient to customers if requested because we do not want anyone to get sick. The ingredient labels are in the back on the bottles and any barista should jump at the opportunity to let you know what is in each drink because we do have access to that. Every single drink component has a nutrition label I promise you that. I’m sorry about the struggle they gave you.
Are courses in English grammar and spelling no longer mandatory in U. S. schools? I can’t believe my eyes when reading your comments!
FoodBabe……….it is difficult to find balsamic vinegar without caramel coloring.
Heard of “We Olive” they have the best balsamic vinegar but I don’t buy it
anymore because they will not remove the caramel coloring from it.
Can you get on them about it? Or does anyone know of a good brand…….
not the watered down kind but the syrupy, a little sweet kind.
Thanks!
You can make any balsamic sweet and syrupy by reducing it with a little brown sugar. 😉
Well i must thank everyone who made a response. Reading this was Hilarious. Thank you for the entertainment.
Instead of trying to stir up controversy on the ~Internet~ by complaining about the company’s lack of transparency with beverage ingredients, try following this handy guide:
If you have a question, ask your barista. If you’re nice about it (and even if you aren’t, because we’re definitely used to that), partners are more than happy to stop what we’re doing, go through our stock, and bring out the bottle of Pumpkin Spice Sauce to show you the ingredient list. Which is printed on every bottle and very legible.
I used to be vegan and I’m a big fan of being aware of what goes into the food/drinks I’m consuming, so if a customer orders a Soy Pumpkin Spice Anything, I always let them know that the sauce contains dairy and ask if that’s an issue. And as a barista trainer, I make sure the new partners that I work with are aware of that, too. We’re not the only store that does this.
And Pumpkin Spice Sauce not containing actual, pure pumpkin puree shouldn’t be a shock to anyone.
The employees behind the counter are actual human beings. We’re not trying to poison you. We know what we’re doing and we’re trained to serve you.
Thank you for being a fantastic representative of why I love Starbucks. You baristas really don’t get enough credit. Keep being awesome! 🙂
FYI, she wasn’t pointing the finger at the baristas. Also if you read the post, she DID consult the bottle of pumpkin sauce. After contacting the company, she was told different things from different people . And she mentioned how some of the employees (aka baristas) who make the drinks really don’t know what’s in them, so what they confidently tell customers may not be accurate. And I think we can assume it’s not their fault, it’s how the company prefers it. The baristas are just doing what they are supposed to do, it’s the higher up’s that are the problem.
Don’t take it personally if you are a barista. I don’t think that’s the point of the post. The point is the company SHOULD be more transparent. If they want to sell a food product, then they should be prepared to let customers know what they are drinking – especially at the prices Starbucks charges.
And keep in mind your training comes from the company. Even if you’re great at your job, you’re going to get the company line.
Humans are a commodity just like sheep, cattle or pigs.
Why do you think everyone is fat and sick? People eat more empty foods – no nutrition just sugar and fat and chemicals. Their bodies are malnourished (even though obese/fat) and screaming for vitamins and minerals. So they eat more and fill their bodies with empty who knows what!
So people eat more “garbage” and the cycle continues. Then they get sick, go on drugs and become part of the “fix the symptoms” culture instead of changing their diet.
I cringe when I see shopping carts loaded to the brim with frozen meals and processed food. The food companies are so clever as they know how to appeal to our appetites with all this fake food. Yipe!
Sodium content is so ridiculous in prepared foods and at restaurants that I can’t stand it. There is 480 mg of sodium in 1/2 cup of Campbell’s Tomato soup. Does anybody ever eat just a 1/2 cup??? Ha!
The chemical/drug companies want as much of our $$ as possible and that is the simple fact!
Whistle blowers have always been called names and mocked.Its nothing new. They only try to warn people of danger. it’s up to people whether they listen or not and sadly most people won’t listen. They rather contradict and make fun of those who earnestly believe in what they share. Many foods today are so toxic and do cause tumors and cancer. Most of the public is not aware of this so get angry. It’s like, ” No one is going to tell me what to do” rebellious attitude. There’s no harm in considering this article….in fact your life may be spared of cancer and rumors. To get belligerent because someone is concerned about your health is being ungrateful. I am one who is glad to acquire the knowledge of this article. I for one will thank those who have researched this and decided to share it. Thank you once again.
Vegans get cancer too.
Starbucks coffe just sucks anyway…
You lost me at this “After reading the ingredients in the Pumpkin Spice Latte, I can tell you that there’s absolutely no pumpkin.”
Are you serious?
It’s “Pumpkin Spice” Latte not “Pumpkin” Latte.
Dear Vani/ foodbabe
I like what you do and I am so thankful to you that you look out for ignorants like me who don’t have time to read labels or research about food due to other priorities and lack of time.
Your subscription is helping me know what’s in it and I like how extensively you research and share your observation.
As always the choice lies with the consumer however after watching several ads on tv and listening on radios…these big companies are able to convince millions of us…that how good and healthy their product is…………..I certainly need a voice that helps me listen to my other voice….which is apprehensive and always asks….HOW CAN THIS PRODUCT BE SO PERFECT. Vani, you are that inner voice which oftens remains silent due to repeated ads .
Good luck and I am always here to support you :):)
xoxo
For the record, Starbucks has in the past served organic milk as an option, as recently as 10 years ago…it was discontinued… You know why? No one bought it. Granted, people may not have been as health savvy about it then as they are now… There just wasn’t a demand for it, so it was discontinued. Maybe now that will be different and you should ask them to bring that milk option back.
Or maybe more customers back then realized that “organic” milk was no different than “regular” milk.
Hasn’t anyone noticed the alarming 1:2 ratio of people getting cancer now. No one can think back and say or prove what it was that pushed their good health down the tubes. And the people selling you the poisons know that! All of it is accumulative.! You never know when that last little bit of caramel coloring (class 4) or carrageenan maxes out your quota of what your body or liver can safely process. Well, if you keep accumulating toxins and dumping them into a bucket it will eventually get full at some point. Think of your body like that—-then the cancer or other horrible diseases begin to take over and your quality of life is gone forever or you could die an early death. When that happens don’t say the Food Babe didn’t try to warn YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Actually, if you look at the World Cancer Research Fund International, the current rate of cancer in the US is 0.318%, or 318 people per 100,000 – age standardized, all cancers.
Furthermore, despite what the doctor she quotes says, if you look at the actual study, the lowest dose of 4-Mel given to the rats in the study was 625 ppm for males and 1250 ppm for females. If the limit given by Prop 65 is 29 ppm, even if you have 5 pumps of sauce, I think you’ll be okay.
I feel like the better option is just avoiding places like Starbucks all together when trying to eat healthy and clean. Why not whip up your own pumpkin spice latte with ingredients you know are healthy for you? Or make your own healthy versions of the good you criticize? It’s cheaper and healthier and definitely easier than investigating restaurants who have every right to serve food the way they want. No one is making us eat this food!
Oh wow! I can rest easy now because Brandy said I would be okay even if I was to get 5 pumps of sauce. Did you not get it when I said that toxins are accumulative? You go ahead and pump away all you want! I don ‘t need it and besides you have some fuzzy math going on there. Even if it is 1:10 ratio, do you think I want to go for those odds. A good healthy life means everything. If you really feel this way and aren ‘t affiliated with Starbucks , I’m afraid you won’t have good health as a senior citizen. If you live that long.
Good Job Vani, l love Starbucks but even they need to be accountable. i don’t always leave comments but am always appreciative of the exhausting work you do following these corporations and dragging the truth out of them. THANK YOU
You shills know this does not happen overnight. Keep drinking this every day and you will come down with cancer or some other disease related to it or something else. Also Carrageenan is cancer causing and it is in so many foods. Why won’t they take it out when they know it causes harm? It is just that simple. Are they in cahoots with the Pharmaceutical Industry and the FDA to make people sick so they can make more money on drugs? How deep this goes. You people are filth that do this and so are you shills for sticking up for them. Slide back under your rocks.
Yes, these shills operate on the rule, “ignorance is bliss”. Challenge the information, but don’t trash the messenger. She will help many, many more people out here searching for health maintenance knowledge than the “shills” out there in whose interest it is to be in denial. If they want to be in de-nile – let them jump on in. We who seek to know appreciate the information offered and the related issues it has brought up on our “quality of life.” Live long and prosper!
It also contains a huge amount of happy which can do amazing stuff for a person both physically and emotionally. Idk why that wasn’t mentioned.
Remember, there’s no pumpkin in it because it is ‘pumpkin spice’ aka nutmeg, cinnamon and clove. You add the spice to your coffee and it instantly ruins it! 😉
Also, a fresh ground cup of coffee doesn’t need sugar, artificial flavors, stabilizers, coloring or extra spices to be good.
Pumpkin spice works best with pumpkin pie. Unflavored, fresh-ground coffee goes well with it as a beverage.
You know the funny thing is… If you would have come into my Starbucks and asked me the ingredients I would have probably let you look at the bottle. Sooooooo…
I went to purchase some organic beef stock today and noticed “caramel color” in the ingredients list. Can it still be organic as long as the amount is under a certain ppm or something?
pathetic how stupid people are…. you try to inform and it’s like beating a dead horse …honestly, I don’t know why you bother!
Not counting the flavoring syrups, their retail items are not necessarily the same as the ones they use in stores. Years ago, their sauces were not Fontana versions. After the shift, different ingredients were used and some had different placements.
Some of their items weren’t even kosher back then, but partners were told they were. There were no documentation until they got certified and the “U”s started showing up in several line items. This shows that Starbucks is just like the rest of corporate America.
We have to dig deep (REAL DEEP) and truly decide what’s best for ourselves.
Who wants PUMPKIN in a latte? Idiotic. It’s “pumpkin spice” — all the spices that go into pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread. Stupid people looking for attention.
How do you genuinely expect them to provide the info for every beverage other than the way they do when you can go into Starbucks and CREATE beverages that don’t even exist on the menu? The most they can do is say “well, these are the ingredients IN all the ingredients we have at our disposal.” What you do to your individual beverage will determine what exactly is in it. It’s like asking them to tell you what exactly is in a salad you make at a salad bar. All they can do is say we have tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, onions, cheese, ranch and bleu cheese. What is in your salad depends on what you put in it.
Holy crap! I’m so allergic to sulfites that I go into anaphylactic shock when I ingest them, and end up on a respirator in the hospital. For Starbucks NOT to disclose this is a death sentence for asthmatic people who have sulfite sensitivity. I read EVERY label! But if it’s not listed, I’m in trouble.. I’ve never been a Starbucks fan- looks like my aversion is well founded…
Does California post on the Starbucks menu or anywhere else that is visible that says, “WARNING: This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer.” on items that contain the cancer causing ingredients?
This entire blog post could’ve been summed up in “Pumpkin Spice Latte is bad for you,” though I don’t know any one drinks it thinking that it is actually a net positive consumption beverage. =/
If they’ve sold over 200 million.. and not had 1 death, sickness, or other complication due to these “chemicals”, whats the problem. This is another case of someone taking a totally irrelevant topic, and trying to blow it toally out of proportion. Activism is great, when its a worthwhile cause, this however, is not.
Holy crap guys! After reading this I decided to see what other deadly, toxic, harmful things are in other food/drinks I consume — and I found out EVERYTHING I CONSUME IS KILLING ME! It’s true! Those carcinogenic ingredients in the Pumpkin Spice Latte? Sure enough they’re in like, everything. EVERYTHING. WHOA! Who knew, just by eating we’re slowly killing ourselves!
Get over it, you’re gonna ingest thousands of “harmful” chemicals a year. Your body can handle it. Drink 30 PSL’s and you’ll be COMPLETELY FINE, minus your new love handles (which, ahem, also will not kill you).