Beetle juice. Beetle juice. Beetle juice! Don’t worry your
Starbucks barista will know what you mean.
Recently the mega coffee corporation has come under fire for
using crushed Peruvian cochineal beetle bugs
to create the red food coloring in several items from their strawberry frappuccino
to the red velvet whoopee pie. Vegans
and vegetarians are crying out, stating that now many drinks can no longer be
an option due to the crushed insects and Starbucks’ statement that they could
not guarantee that there would not be cross-contamination.
Just today Starbucks released yet another statement concerning
the backlash, stating they will reconsider the ingredient. But is this little bug really a big deal?
The red dye that comes from the cochineal bug is found in
more items that you might think. Enjoy cranberry juice? Wear virtually any
shade of red lipstick? Or maybe you just like strawberry yogurt? Then you’ve
experienced this natural additive. Yum.
Unfortunately, bugs aren’t the only natural additive that
has made its way into our everyday products. Don’t worry; you should be safe
with a nice veggie laden sandwich. Wrong. L-cysteine, commonly found in breads,
pastries and pizza dough, is derived from a natural protein source we are all
familiar with- human hair.
That must be what Weezy meant when he said “long hair, don’t
care.”
But don’t despair; being natural isn’t limited to what you
eat. Ambergris, a wale stomach excrement, is commonly used in perfumes to help
the scent last longer. So if you love Chanel No. 5 then you are truly one with
the environment.
Before I really freak you out and force you to a life of
fasting, realize that these additives are FDA safe and have been used for many years
before anyone actually knew how innovative and disgusting we could be. Just know
that natural additives can be as weird as those manufactured ones.
yo, this is lit
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