The internet is blowing up with a controversy over what’s inside of your favorite seasonal beverage at Starbucks: The Pumpkin Spice Latte. By reading some of the articles out there, you might be lead to believe that Starbucks invented the Pumpkin Spice Latte on another planet:
(I just randomly found that picture on the internet – I don’t hold the copyright! Sorry to whomever that pic belongs to!)
The truth is that you can enjoy your Pumpkin Spice Latte:
I contacted an official Starbucks spokesperson to learn more about the controversy over the Pumpkin Spice Latte:
Linda Mills (an official Starbucks spokesperson) gave me the following statement:
“The standard recipe for Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte at company-operated and licensed stores does not contain high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), and is sweetened with sugar. We are actively looking at phasing out caramel coloring. 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. Our milk is still hormone free, as we committed to in 2008. Regarding coffee, let me be clear: our coffee is safe. We purchase the highest quality arabica coffee in the world from farmers we know and trust. In the event pesticides were used on the outside of the coffee cherry, there would be virtually no trace of in a customer’s cup because of the roasting process. For customers who wish to purchase organic coffee from us, we have options available for them – nationally – such as Organic Yukon Blend.
As a company, we take pride in providing full ingredient transparency to our customers so they can make whatever choice is right for them on their beverage selection. The high level of personalization of Starbucks beverages available allows customers to enjoy a unique Starbucks Experience and tailor their drink to match their own personal taste preferences – including the selection from a variety of fresh dairy selections and soy milk, a combination of syrups, and coffee/espresso options and toppings. If customers have questions about any of the items offered in our stores, they can ask their barista for a list of ingredients or call us directly. We’re also working on listing core beverage recipes online via Starbucks.com and hope to have an update in the near future.”
THE MILK:
The milk at Starbucks does not come from cows given growth hormones. In January 2008, Starbucks made a promise to customers that all milk served inside their company-operated Starbucks stores would not come from cows given growth hormones. The Seattle Times mentioned this change here. It was in 2008 that Starbucks removed organic milk from their menu because sales of it were “very low.” Still to this day, Starbucks hasn’t changed their milk purchasing practices.
THE PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE SAUCE:
As mentioned above, the Starbucks brand Pumpkin Spice Latte sauce used in stores does not contain high fructose corn syrup. I know I’ve read place where people are concerned that there are no actual pumpkins in the Pumpkin Spice Latte. Actually, it makes sense to me that it is flavored as Pumpkin Spice.
THE ACTUAL COFFEE IN THE PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE (Or any other Starbucks beverage, for that matter).
When you buy a Pumpkin Spice Latte, you’re most likely getting Starbucks Espresso Roast blend pulled as an espresso shot (or multiple shots). (My side comment here is that Espresso Roast also makes a lovely cup of drip coffee! Try it some time!) Coffee is very different than a product like spinach or apples which often have a high level of pesticide residue. The now-infamous Foodbabe.com article states that there might be “possible pesticide” residue in your coffee. Of all the things you have to worry about, this might be the least of your worries. Customers do not eat the outside cherry of the coffee. That soft cherry is removed and only the very inner dense coffee bean is roasted. Compare if you will, the coffee bean with the bananas you find at your local grocery store. (Stay with me here!). Some people say that bananas are the most pesticide-laden group of fruits yet the peeled banana fruit is tainted with very few pesticide residues. And bananas don’t even get thrown into a hot coffee roaster! 😉
More importantly, Starbucks actively discourages farmers from using pesticides. Starbucks asks farmers to participate in a scoring process called “CAFE practices,” which is essentially a way that Starbucks grades farms on how well they uphold environmental sustainability, transparency, and ethical practices and values. In 2012, 90% of Starbucks coffee was CAFE practices certified. Starbucks has certain “zero tolerance” items on the CAFE practices score card. If a farmer violates an area of “zero tolerance” his farm fails and will not be CAFE practices certified. One of the many “zero tolerance” areas is that no farmer may use any pesticides with active ingredients that would be considered “extremely hazardous” or “highly hazardous” under World Health Organization standards.
The bottom line is that you can enjoy your double shot of espresso and smile at the same time. Probably buying organic apples or spinach for home will do you a lot more good.
FINAL COMMENT: ISN’T THAT A LOT OF SUGAR?
I almost laugh each time a person singles out a Starbucks beverage as a high sugar beverage. I guess part of what surprises me (and this is just my opinion here) is that I look around me and see that Americans, as a whole, have a sweet tooth and love sugary food and beverage items. It’s what we Americans seem to like. Everything in moderation. While we’re at it, don’t drink, don’t smoke cigarettes, and be sure to brush and floss regularly. One news article suggests that the average American consumes 76 grams of sugar daily. One thing to consider about Starbucks beverages more generally, it seems (just by my anecdotal observation) that the “Grande” size (16 ounces) is one of the most popular sizes at Starbucks. If you are worried about how much sugar your beverage has, you could consider ordering just a “short” or a “tall” Pumpkin Spice Latte. It’s one wonderful way to enjoy a treat, while scaling back on the sugars you’re consuming – control portion size.
While I’m not totally convinced that a grande Pumpkin Spice Latte daily would be the best thing ever for your body, I also think that most people enjoy Starbucks as treat. In fact, the numbers back it up. Only about one in five Starbucks customers goes to Starbucks more than 16 times in a month. The average customer visits Starbucks six times a month. And if you’re anything like me, you like a little variety and don’t order the same thing over and over again.
This is my response to Foodbabe.com. I felt their article on the Pumpkin Spice Latte was highly sensationalized and designed just to get a rise out of readers, without really providing any quality information.
As always, this is just my opinion, but I too will be enjoying a Pumpkin Spice Latte now and then this fall. How do I know when it’s fall in Seattle? When Starbucks starts offering Pumpkin Spice Lattes on their menus.
🙂
28 Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Socialize
“I felt their article on the Pumpkin Spice Latte was highly sensationalized and designed just to get a rise out of readers, without really providing any quality information.”
I feel the same way. They just wanted to cause an uproar about the horrors of the PSL without making sure it was really as awful as they felt it was.
The nice thing about Starbucks is that you can personalize your drink. If you want to cut down the sugar in your drink, you can ask for less pumps of the syrup or get sugar-free syrup. That is one of the things I like about the Starbucks ice teas–I have a choice of how sweet I want the beverage. Most places do not give you a choice–you can just choose sweetened or unsweetened.
Melody, I knew you would get
the right information out to
us,Starbucks(Pumpkin Spice)lovers! I knew when
I read that article, they were not
as informed, as they claimed to be!
I knew you would again put the
truth out there! I know we discussed
that article a few days ago, and I’m glad
you did this blog about it! Great job!
The original article is in the same category as the other fear-mongering anti-chemical articles. Guess what: EVERYTHING you consume is full of chemicals, if you’re being technical about it. Sure, there are some we should be avoiding, but there are too many people afraid of ANY chemical name out there. Why are we freaked out about other names, but freely go to Starbucks to get our 1,3,7-trimethyl-1H-purine-2,6(3H,7H)-dione 3,7-dihydro-1,3,7-trimethyl-1H-purine-2,6-dione daily? Like you said – let’s try some portion control and also controlling how often you have it. The PSL, much like many of the beverages at Starbucks, goes beyond a simple cup of coffee. It’s a treat, and should be consumed as such, rather than a daily food item. I don’t believe Starbucks puts anything intentionally dangerous into their food or beverages. The issue is that people don’t understand science.
I’ve never understood the desire to put a bunch of gunk in a cup of coffee. Black and Strong!!!
I didn’t understand the part of the article where she ways that Starbucks is trying to keep what’s in your drink a secret. Walk into any Starbucks and we’ll happily show you the bottle so you can read all of the ingredients for yourself! It’s no secret.
@Melody, I consider this one of your benchmark posts, outstanding.
There are far too many “pretty looking” blogs on the Internet that profess to present fact when nothing could be further from the truth.
People do need to understand what is in the products they consume, but they also need to understand the truth. It is not as simple as looking at the links on the first page of a Google Search. I have an advantage of an excellent education (continuing too) in science, engineering, technology, and agriculture. Way too much is not taught in school anymore.
@Tom in Plano, TX – two thumbs up.
Well said, Melody! I feel sorry for the people that follow and actually believe Foodbabe. You always serve up the facts and I truly wish more would do their research before just being a lemming and believing the first thing they come across. I also never understand these people that go nuts when they find out the PSL doesn’t have actual pumpkin in it. Why would you want pumpkin in your coffee? But yes, the spices are a great idea as a treat now and then. Great article.
I HATE the Food Babe blog. In fact what she wrote about Starbucks and their response to her is almost word for word what she recently posted about another company’s response. She has no idea what she’s talking about but apparently being thin and having an opinion (albeit a stupid one) make her a Facebook expert.
I commented on Foodbabe’s post basically stating how ridiculous it was. It is fearmongering in order to push her agenda. What is worse is some of my family falls for it.
I laughed at loud when stating that the coffee has possible pesticides in it. Does she not know the anatomy of the coffee bean? Anyone with the slightest bit of brain would know that there is no real pumpkin in it. Does anyone do that? I would guess not as it would not work too well. Come on!
I would expect her to do an “analysis” on Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Latte or of some drink at Gloria Jeans but she won’t because those places don’t have the same image as Starbucks.
Sorry that I’m not able to respond to every comment here right now. @Kristen – I should have mentioned that whole issue that the ingredients are “secret”!! Hahaha! Thank you for weighing in. I didn’t even think about that, but yeah you can just ask to look at the bottle. 🙂
Once again, a well researched and well written article. Thanks for being our voice. People can always ask for less syrup in their beverages as a way to cut down on sugar intake or do a Pumpkin Spice Misto or just Pumpkin Spice flavor in their coffee. Remember, a bit of that sugar content number comes from the milk sugar. One of our customers loves the flavor but was moaning about her 10 pound PSL gain. I gave her a short cup of coffee with just the flavoring in it and she had a new favorite and fewer pounds. Keep up the good work of being our shield from the slings and arrows of unwarranted criticism.
Thanks for fighting the good fight, Melody! 🙂 What an obnoxious article… For those who haven’t seen it yet, Snopes has already posted a debunking of foodbabe’s diatribe:
http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/pumpkinspicelatte.asp
I feel like Food Babe and other websites like have figured out that food shaming is an excellent way to go viral. Like you said, everything in moderation is the key. If you want to cut sugar/fat/calories, Starbucks is one of the easiest places around to make that happen. Just cut the whipped cream, ask for nonfat milk, or do one less pump of sauce. Done.
I saw something on this on FB being shared around and I just sorta shrugged at it. When I eat processed foods, I figure I’m consuming junk anyway — it’s just part of the game. I don’t indulge unless I’m willing to take the consequences.
Well said! I love a pumpkin spice latte, but in a grande, I only get one pump of the syrup. It’s not as sweet, and still tastes delicious! This is my favorite seasonal drink!
I don’t disagree with what you have to say and I will admit that the Food Babe Article was sensationalize & is a bit of an extreme view but it’s not false. For those of us who care, even though Starbucks milk no longer has hormones it still comes from cows that were most likely fed GMO feed treated with pesticides. The food babe article never mentioned the hormones, just pesticides & GMOs. I’m not sure about the PSL ingredients since their nutrition page has been down for several days. I suspect that is does contain Natural flavor (can be anything & not disclosed by Starbucks) & artificial flavor (again who knows what) & caramel color which is being re examined by the FDA & has been documented as a carcinogen. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/01/caramel-color-the-health-risk-that-may-be-in-your-soda/index.htm I would appreciate Starbucks being more forthcoming with their ingredients. If you call a large company like Starbucks their employees should be educated about their products. The Food Babe’s article was based on information she got from Starbucks. I have also called inquiring about ingredients or asked partners at stores & have gotten inconsistent wishy washy answers. I would like to see this info in writing clearly on their website for all to see.
Sugar free is the worst thing anyone could ever put in your body! I cant believe people still consume sugar free & wonder why cancer is at an all time high! For your own health, you should really do some good research! And if your diabetic there are other alternatives
@April – What most people do not realize or correlate, is to take a look at the use of artificial and fake sweeteners, as use has increased so has the incidence of Type 2 Diabetes.
Thanks for defending my beloved and much maligned pumpkin spice latte. I am excited every year when it returns to the menu. There are way too many people on the Internet that believe everything they read and never research the truth for themselves. People still believe the myth that Starbucks refuses to support our troops by donating coffee and it has been debunked for years.
Your spokes person or you quote is mistaken. There is in fact high fructose corn syrup on the label. Its third one the list of ingredients after sugar and condensed nonfat milk.
But as far as causing an uproar over what is in it, that is just something that large corporations like Starbucks have to deal with. They handle themselves very well when vegans caused an uproar about the Strawberry juice they used for the Strawberry Creme Frappuccino and Strawberry Smoothie.
My personal thing is if you don’t like what is in it then don’t order it.
Honestly I think they will lose more costumers if they change the recipe then they will due to foodbabe.
Corn syrup is not a listed ingredient. For the past two years it has been sweetened with cane sugar. The ingredients list (taken from the bottle I just dumped into the dispenser) is: Sugar, condensed nonfat milk, sweetened condensed nonfat milk, annatto (E160b, colour), natural and artificial flavours, caramel colour (E150d), salt, potassium sorbate (E202, a preservative). You can ask your barista to see the bottle for the list of ingredients. Frankly, I don’t know how many companies jump for their customers like Starbucks does. People didn’t like the fact that we were wasting so much water by keeping it running in our spoon wells so that changed. Didn’t like having transfats, those came out. Corn syrup was a dietary no-no, so that has been eliminated. No one liked the new raspberry syrup when it came out and that went back to the original recipe. Beetles used to color the strawberry puree went by the wayside. Lemon pound cake. The list goes on and on. We can’t please everyone but we have a really consumer responsive company.
Melody, I love your article. I wrote a similar response to the FoodBabe and everyone who uses the incorrect use of the word Toxic. Feel free to read FeelFitastic.com. Your research for this article and information is spot on. Thank you posting. Keep it UP!!!!
I just don’t understand why Starbucks cannot make these things with no sweetener and let people order or add the sweetener they prefer. As a diabetic, I am unable to order their chai or flavored coffees because they use pre-sweetened (with sugar or corn syrup) flavorings. Just make the flavors without sweetener and let people add honey/sugar/Splenda/aspartame as they choose. Why is that so hard?
@Melinda – I’ve very sorry to say this but it’s not an issue about it being ‘hard’ as much as it is simply consumer demand. The American palate likes sweet things. This is how they eat and drink, whether or not they’ll admit it. And they want a lot of consistency from large chains: an expectation that if they order a tall mocha, it will taste the same each time – the same sweetness and not run the risk of lots of variation or having to re-customize it themselves to the right sweetness every single time.
You could make a reasonable argument that there’s a demand for more SF options. But Starbucks won’t ever likely switch to a system where all there syrups and sauces have no sweetener and it must be customized each time: the demand by Americans is more likely for sweet beverages and absolute consistency time and time again.
For all those chemicals im not drinking any more this coffee! WE ARE LEARNING NOW THANKS TO FOOD BABE! Sorry to say that!
[…] And it is not bad once in a while if you able to have things like that once in a while. […]
Great news about the Pumpkin Spice!
*The caramel coloring has been removed, which was in their sauce and whipped cream.Their sauce is now colored with “fruit and vegetable juice”
* Real pumpkin has been added to their sauce.
Way to go Starbucks!