Just weeks after the world's largest coffee chain took serious PR heat from vegan groups and public relations gurus for switching to commonly-used cochineal beetles to color its Strawberry Frappuccinos, the company's U.S. president, Cliff Burrows, now says that bugs are coming out and tomato-based extract is coming in.
"We fell short of your expectations," he said, in a statement on Thursday on the company's "My Starbucks Idea" consumer site. "We are reformulating the affected products to assure the highest quality possible."
By the end of June, he says, the company will transition to using lycopene, a natural, tomato-based extract, in its Strawberry & Creme Frappuccino blended beverage and Strawberry Banana Smoothie. It also will drop the use of cochineal extract in its Raspberry Swirl Cake, Birthday Cake Pop, Mini Donut with pink icing and Red Velvet Whoopie Pie.
