I typically don’t like to eat insects. Nor do I like to drink their juices, but if mixed into a delicious Strawberry Frappauccino from Starbucks? I might be willing to try it.
The website ThisDishIsVegetarian.com recently called out Starbucks for using the dye from crushed female chochineal insects in their Strawberry Frappauccinos. Apparently, if you grind up the insects, the bug juice gives the frap its pink and rosy color. ThisDishIsVegetarian.com declares the strawberry fraps are non-vegetarian because of the use of insects.
Starbucks didn’t argue otherwise. (I don’t think they particularly care.)
See pictures of the chochineal insect
In a statement, Starbucks said: “At Starbucks, we strive to carry products that meet a variety of dietary lifestyles and needs. We also have the goal to minimize artificial ingredients in our products. While the strawberry base isn’t a vegan product, it helps us move away from artificial dyes.”
The World Health Organization says chochineal dye can cause asthma in some people and produce an allergic reaction in others, which is why some who aren’t vegetarian are jumping on the boycott bandwagon.
But before you go trotting off to join the picket line, you should know Starbucks isn’t the only retailer to use bugs or bug products in their recipes. Chochineal dye has been around since the 15th century and is considered safe by the FDA. It’s widely used in jams, preserves, meat, marinades, cookies, cheese and more. It’s quite possible you’ve already consumed the hotly debated bug juice and didn’t even know it.
So what exactly is a cochineal insect?
Unless you live in South America or Mexico, you probably won’t stumble upon one. They’re considered parasitic insects and host on certain types of cactus. A female chochineal bug will colonize a cactus pad and will secrete a white, web-like waxy material over the area for camouflage. The male chochineal insect lives just long enough to mate — usually about one week. Lucky for them because they don’t live long enough to get plucked, crushed and eaten. It’s the females that are gathered in mass to produce just a little bit of food coloring.
So, how about you? Would you eat or drink food dyed by bug juice?
