Starbucks and Crushed Bugs

Crushed bugs. YUK. Ground up bugs from Latin America. Makes me wonder what else is in the food people eat and drink. I used to LOVE red velvet whoopie pies (cant' eat them now). I didn't like Starbucks but I'd guzzle gallons of Dunk'n Donuts coffee. Wonder what is in all this processed stuff. YUK. Anyways .. thought you all might find this interesting ... crushed bugs from Latin America in red food dyes and used by StarBucks.

]url=http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/28/10908790-starbucks-draws-flak-over-dye-made-from-bugs] MSNBC - Starbucks draws flak ovre dye made from bugs [/url]

Starbucks has landed in hot water with some vegetarians over a decision to use a food coloring made from crushed bugs in products including its Strawberries and Creme Frappuccinos and red velvet whoopee pies.

The coffee giant recently started using cochineal extract, which is made from crushed insects, as a food dye in products that are pink or red in color.

Spokesman Jim Olson told msnbc.com the company switched to the extract in response to customers who wanted Starbucks to use more natural ingredients whenever possible.

Also from the same source -

In 2009 the Food and Drug Administration began requiring companies to tell customers when they are using cochineal extract in foods, citing the potential for allergic reactions.

also reported by the Seattle Times - Frappuccino's colorful ingredients bug some vegetarians

A good time to post this for those who havent seen it: FDA Defect Levels Handbook

A handy dandy listing of just how many bug parts, mold spores and particulates of fecal matter are okay for you to consume as per the glorious FDA.

Life is filthy. Mass production is massively filthy.

Folks complain about the sanitation of things like eggs from a local farm or raw milk. Taking a gander into a huge egg production facility or a massive several thousand acre dairy farm and then peeking at what the government's sanitation standards are puts things into perspective.

COFFEE BEANS, GREEN Insect filth and insects
(MPM-V1) Average 10% or more by count are insect-infested or insect-damaged
Note:
If live external infestation is present use the Compliance Policy Guide (CPG) titled "Food Storage and Warehousing-Adulteration-Filth" (CPG 580.100) in accordance with "Interpretation of Insect Filth" (CPG 555.600)
Mold
(MPM-V1) Average of 10% or more beans by count are moldy

DEFECT SOURCE: Insect infested/damaged - preharvest and/or post harvest and/or processing insect infestation, Mold - post harvest and/or processing infection
SIGNIFICANCE: Aesthetic, Potential health hazard - mold may contain mycotoxin producing fungi

The intentional addition of extra crushed insects in the form of dyes and additives is hysterical.
Starbucks could ramp up the total count to a significant value of protein and market it as a meal replacement.

Don't forget that in India they produce color dyes by mixing together flesh of animals, humans and any other living being into some form of something to produce the dye. Not only that, the human bodies are sometimes eaten by followers of the Shiva religion. Sorry for being off-topic, but I had to mention it, lol.

reply to post by thisguyrighthere

OMG .. thank you for that. I've been missing coffee so much these past two years.
Maybe if I read that a few times I'll be able to talk myself into not wanting it anymore.

Originally posted by ImaMuslim
Sorry for being off-topic, but I had to mention it,

You aren't off topic at all. In fact, you are on target. Thanks for the information.

This always amazes me, people get so shook up when they find out something like this and then refuse to eat or drink anything. My outlook on the whole thing is, did you like it before you found out what was in it? Then what difference does it make? One lesson I learned from my wise father long ago and I pass it on now; if you ever consume something and enjoy it never ask what it is or what is in it.

You do realize that coffee beans are grown...you know...outside?

Did you know that all produce, which I would consider including coffee, may not be exactly picture perfect?

Life isn't quite like the commercials you see. Not every orange is perfectly round and blemish free.

You need to realize that bugs live in our world with us. You eat bugs. Even if you think that is yucky, billions of people around the world don't.

If smashing a bug makes a better red than some man-made carcinogen, I say bring on the bugs.

Lets not mention to the Girls here how much insect is in a bar of chocolate eh?

To be honest I know there are animal bits/insect bits/poop bits in our food and not many food stuffs don't have them in but we have been eating poop/insects etc for ages so it doesn't bother me.


Oh and on average Girls there are 16 bits of insect in each chocolate bar

Originally posted by N3kr0m4nc3r
This always amazes me, people get so shook up when they find out something like this and then refuse to eat or drink anything.

I used to drink coffee and eat things like those red velvet whoopie pies all the time. I LOVED "EM. Now that I have sjogrens .. I can't. I miss them a lot. It was just a shock to see that they are adding crushed bugs when they simply don't have to. It's an added contamination that doesn't need to be there. I'm wondering if I keep thinking about how yukky these things are, maybe I won't miss the food that I can't have anymore so much.

Originally posted by FlyersFan
It's an added contamination that doesn't need to be there.

No it's not. You need to prove that eating bugs is somehow bad for you to say it's a containment. Billions of people eat insects.
www.ent.iastate.edu...
It's cheap, easy and for some people-It's rather tasty. It's "gross" to you because you are a prototypical westerner with a western diet. All you have to do is get yourself to Mexico and you will find people eating insects. This is common as day in a lot of places. I actually ate a Cricket Bread, didn't bother me a bit.

I actually find it rather funny cuz of a certain connection I have With insects...
I used to eat them all the time, and now, I am a real coffee addict ( timmy H baby!)

So is it the caffeine or the bugs? Hahaha... But, in all seriousness it's the caffeine, I should slow down a bit...
So bugs? Doesn't bug me ( pun obviously intended

Mind you I have eaten crickets(fried), fire ants(with chilli) and they tasted good

At least ground up bugs are organic matter, not some human-created preservative. It's not that big of a deal, IMO.

Go to Asia and see how many interesting things are on the menu Baked or fried grasshoppers and crickets are actually pretty tastey. Various animal meat and reptiles on a stick..bon apetite!

As long as it tastes good and is healthy, eat it!

I love red velvet cake! ...in moderation.

reply to post by FlyersFan

I live in SE Asia and in my country they are marketing a new coffee blend that is exotic, super aromatic and is considered as the "creme de la creme" of coffee. They collect the coffee cherries and feed these cherries to civet cats which are housed in cages. Every morning the caretaker would go on his rounds collecting the civet cats'"poo"
and take it into the factory to obtain the coffee beans from the "poo". These beans are then thoroughly washed and processed into coffee powder, packed into sachets and sold. It is said that the beans having absorbed the enzymes in the civet's stomach is very aromatic and a cuppa is very expensive. To promote and advertised their product the factory even opened up a coffeehouse selling these exclusive coffee. But I think I shall stick with my Iced Latte or Green Tea Latte at Starbucks cos to me its still the best.

reply to post by ImaMuslim


and you muzzies do honor killings.At least followers of Shiva don't have sharia law or try to force their beliefs in other countries

This is just my opinion.

Yuk? what do you think we ate when we had no food except for what nature provided us. i mean, sure its gross because its coffee, but you should know by now that food and drinks that have been processed contain things you dont want to consume.

Does everybody like a good hotdog?

MMMMM I love them cow lips and a$$holes....

I mean HOT DOGS....

MMMMMMMM.......

reply to post by thisguyrighthere


LOL For your comment.

Thanks for the link, did not make my day.

Maybe we're all getting more protein then we realize.

Very good link to book, "Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal".

Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal
War Stories from the Local Food Front
by Joel Salatin

Drawing upon 40 years’ experience as an ecological farmer and marketer, Joel Salatin explains with humor and passion why Americans do not have the freedom to choose the food they purchase and eat. From child labor regulations to food inspection, bureaucrats provide themselves sole discretion over what food is available in the local marketplace. Their system favors industrial, global corporate food systems and discourages community-based food commerce, resulting in homogenized selection, mediocre quality, and exposure to nonorganic farming practices. Salatin’s expert insight explains why local food is expensive and difficult to find and will illuminate for the reader a deeper understanding of the industrial food complex.

Source: www.chelseagreen.com...:paperback#

Here's some more tantalizing recipes ...

1. Frozen or canned asparagus
Producers are allowed to leave 6 or more attached asparagus beetle eggs and/or sacs on 10% of their spears and either: an average of 40 thrips per 100 grams; or make sure the remaining insects or insect parts have an average aggregate length of 7mm or longer per each 100 grams. Crunchy!

2. Canned lingonberries
They taste so good at Ikea — but that little extra protein comes from the 3 larvae per pound allowed.

3. Frozen Brussels sprouts
Look closely: producers can have up to 30 aphids or thrips in every 100 grams.

There's 7 more in this article
Bug House Deluxe !


What would Julia Child think

BROCCOLI, FROZEN Insects and mites
(AOAC 945.82) Average of 60 or more aphids and/or thrips and/or mites per 100 grams

DEFECT SOURCE: Pre-harvest insect infestation
SIGNIFICANCE: Aesthetic

FDA - Defect Levels Handbook
The Food Defect Action Levels

What would the Supreme Court think ?

reply to post by xuenchen

I knew it! Some idiot has decided to make jungle training into a luxury feast,I bet they were French.