The Fall season is quickly approaching and with the summer months winding down, there is one thing people look for most: Pumpkin Spice Latte drinks.
However, drinkers of the popular Pumpkin drink found out last year that coffee titan Starbucks does not even include any real pumpkin in their version of the beverage - that is, until now. Pumpkin Spice Latte, commonly known as PSL, is actually the most popular seasonal beverage on Starbucks' menu and according to their website, information on the nutritional facts state that real pumpkin pie spices will be used in the drink.
Peter Dukes, one of the members of the team that created PSL, recently wrote in his blog about updating the popular latte. Dukes goes on to talk about how the team went back to the roots of the drink and why they created it in the first place. The coffee team wanted to make something simple, a drink that will take you to the crisp, cool days of the fall season while keeping you warm and happy inside. The blog served also as an official announcement from Starbucks that PSL will now be made with real pumpkin and no longer contain caramel coloring.
Before the announcement of real pumpkin ingredients, Starbucks came under fire about their PSL. Food blogger Vani Hari wrote in her popular food blog about Starbucks PSL and how it was really difficult for her to procure any data on the recipe of the drink. Hari goes on to attack Starbucks on how difficult the coffee company made it for her to get any information on the ingredients for their PSL.
It was only after a lot research that it was revealed that Starbucks PSL does not contain any real pumpkin in the recipe. Instead, there were artificial ingredients, such as Caramel coloring IV which is considered by Hari as one of the most dangerous food chemicals added to food and drinks. The food blogger goes on to say that Carmel Coloring IV can actually increase the risk of lung cancer or leukemia.
Needless to say, once the blog post became viral multiple, media outlets began running the story, which led to a public uproar about the seasonal drink. Starbucks is now confident, however, that the new version of Pumpkin Spice Late will impress loyal fans of the drink as well as new costumers.