Starbucks Using Crushed Bugs To Dye Pink Drinks
(CBS13) – An insect ingredient in a Starbucks drink is making headlines.
The ingredient is called Cochineal Extract.
It's crushed up bugs which are used as red dye in the Starbucks Strawberry Frappuccino.
The drink had been vegan, but not anymore.
Crushed cochineals have been used since the 1500's as red dye in fabric.
"It's the internal juices. It's Carminic acid from the insect that creates the bright red colors," said Norm Penny of the California Academy of Sciences.
The dye is also used in ketchup, ice cream and candy. The FDA says it's sae.
Starbucks says the ingredient is an alternative to artificial dyes.
