Starbucks Drops Dye Made From Crushed Bugs: Daily Dose of Weird

I don't put much thought into what makes my food the color that it is.  While it is important that food be aesthetically pleasing, I'm generally more concerned with taste and texture.  So I never gave much thought to what makes Starbucks red velvet cake so darn red, or that it might not be strawberries that give the strawberries and cream frappuccino its signature pink hue.

Turns out, Starbucks has been using a dye in its red and pink offerings that is made from crushed insects.  It's called cochineal extract; and according to MSNBC, it recently caused an uproar in the vegetarian community after a vegan Starbucks barista noticed the company had started using it.

The coffee giant said in a blog post Thursday that it will gradually transition from using cochineal extract as a red food dye to using lycopene, which is tomato-based, for red and pink food and drinks. It expects the transition to be complete in the United States by the end of June.

[via Bottom Line - MSNBC.]

Weirdness of red bug-dye aside, I'm glad Starbucks is changing the ingredient for legitimate dietary reasons, and not just because people were grossed out.  I also learned something from this story: insects are not a vegetarian food!

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