In recent news, Starbucks has come under scrutiny after recent findings that their Strawberry & Creme frappachino contains an ingredient called cochineal – a red dye made out of crushed cochineal beetles.

Starbucks went on to explain that they were trying to minimize the amount of artificial ingredients used in their products.

They issued this statement:

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.

Many Starbucks ingredients can be combined to create a beverage free from animal-derived products; however, we are unable to guarantee this due to the potential cross-contamination with other animal-derived products in our retail locations.

This was originally caught by a vegan Starbucks frequenter who posted the ingredients of the frappachino on the site thisdishisvegetarian.com.

Although the cochineal extract is safe for consumption, the World Health Organization has found that it could potentially cause allergic reactions.

To all the Starbucks patrons out there, does this concern you?