New York – Starbucks Corp. says it will stop using a red dye in its drinks that is derived from crushed bugs.
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The Seattle-based coffee chain said in a blog post on its website Thursday that it made the decision to reformulate its drinks after feedback from consumers prompted a “thorough” evaluation.
The company says it will swap out cochineal extract, which is made from the juice of a tiny beetle, and instead use lycopene, a tomato-based extract.
Cochineal dye is widely used in foods and cosmetics products such as lipstick, yogurt and shampoo. Starbucks had used the coloring in its strawberry flavored mixed drinks and foods like the raspberry swirl cake and red velvet whoopie pie.
The company says the items will be reformulated by the end of June.
An online petition on Change.org asking the chain to stop using the bug-based dye had collected more than 6,000 signatures. The petition was started by a South Carolina woman who wanted to inform consumers that the chain’s strawberry drinks weren’t vegan-friendly.
Worse than bug juice..they have stated that they support gay marriage.
If along with that change they can put a hechsher on the Fraps it will be the best start of summer.
This is horrible! I have been drinking them all along with soy and assummed they were kosher! Who can I complain to?
I think it is disgusting that any food product could be colored with dye from insects. It should be banned. Watch out for what is labeled as “natural coloring or flavorings”. bug extract is a natural coloring.
for #3–why did you assume they were kosher?
did it have a hechsher on it?
was there a mashgiach in the store?
Reply to #3 if they weren’t whole bugs than its not treif so check into it
This just shows us that without a hecsher you can not or should not consider any thing is kosher
And to number 3 you assumed that it was kosher the company never claimed that it was you have no one to blame but yourself
If they aren’t whole then its cool and they aren’t trief
#3,
It’s still muttar. It goes through several stages of being inedible, so the only issur would be the possible issur drabbanan of achshevei(machlokes rishonim, many rishonim would hold it’s muttar lchatchila), and it is then mixed into the foodstuff in less than shishim, so it’s not really assur at all.
I want to start an on line petition to save the tomatoes! Why should all those innocent tomatoes be crushed to saved the insects?
Hmmm.. Now we know where they got the name “StarBugs”….
chazusah lav milse
One time I wanted a frapaciano but I only consume choluv Yisroel so I asked the lady behind the counter if it can be made with soy and she said ye but the base of the frapaciano doesn’t have a ou so I figured that its probelly kosher and contemplated buying one but then decided not to take the risk bh I didn’t take the risk for now I found out I wasn’t kosher, so therefore whenever you buy a flavor for a coffe or the like ask them to look at the syrup bottle (she know that something to be kosher has to have a ou bc this starbucks is located near a yeshiva and buchurim go there daily)
do kashrus orginazations permit this dye or not? anyone know?
I remember years ago there was a mini scandal when it was discovered that the cherries in canned fruit cocktail were colored with this dye. The heimishe companies opted to remove the cherries completely, and I don’t think they were ever put back in. I do however believe that not all hashgochos accepted what they felt was an unnecessary stringency.
AFAIK, mainstream U.S. kashrus organizations do not allow cochineal (AKA carmine coloring). Speaking of red colors, I noticed that an Israeli candy product used black carrot extract as a substitute for cochineal.
The Starbucks in Acme in Clifton had a sign ‘cholov yisroel milk available on request.’ It also had a sign saying the store was not under kosher supervision. In any case, it is now closed and replaced with another brand.
What about all those lipsticks?
#25 ,
This is incorrect. A dye is NOT a davar hamaamid. The problem here might be choze vniur because it can be seen, but it can’t because there are other things effecting the color, namely cream and strawberries, so it’s zeh vzeh gorem.
Also, the problem of achahevei goes away because it doesn’t have a taste.
It is completely muttar.
If you go into any Starbucks, and you can see with your own eyes that their cakes and sanwiches are NOT kosher and they have MEAT in them, why BUY the coffee? Turn around and walk out!! Go to the eye doctor!!
To #9 :
A Korban chatos is only for aveiros which are koreis. Nuff said.