The Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks has been getting slammed on social media after an infographic suggests the drink has heavy amounts of sugar, corn syrup, “no real pumpkin,” “Monsanto Milk,” and a slew of preservatives and artificial ingredients.
The inographic was made by Food Babe, who runs a food blog.
The image was being shared heavily as of Wednesday. In some cities, Starbucks reportedly rolled out the popular drink on Tuesday.
“Think Before You Drink.@Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte w/ 2 doses of caramel coloring level IV that is linked 2 cancer,” she tweeted.
In a larger blog, she suggest that Starbucks has essentially misleading consumers by not listing all the ingredients.
“While [Starbucks lists] some ingredients on their website, they still do not list the ingredients in their most popular items: their drinks,” she wrote on her blog . “This includes all of their lattes, Frappuccinos, Macchiatos, smoothies, etc. Starbucks doesn’t even publish the ingredients in their kids drinks, keeping parents completely in the dark.”
As a result of the post, users on Twitter and Facebook have unleashed a torrent of criticism against Starbucks.
Starbucks spokeswoman Linda Mills attempted to clarify the ingredients of the latte to Business Insider, saying that it doesn’t have high-fructose corn syrup. She said that it doesn’t have pumpkin in it either but uses spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove.
“We are actively looking at phasing out caramel coloring,” Mills told the publication. “In any instances where it is used in our beverages, the level is well below the No Significant Risk Level (NSRL) and safe to consume.”
The drink will come out across the US on Sept. 2. This is the 11th year that Starbucks is serving the latte.
The grande-sized pumpkin spiced latte has 13 g of fat, 380 calories, and 49 g of sugar. The drink also uses condensed milk, meaning it’s not vegan.
Friends Read Free