FINALLY. Starbucks Ingredients List.
Note: Updates from Starbucks on 5/12 written in red!
Well, it only took NINE emails, but I finally got a response on what add-ons are indeed vegan. Just in time for Starbuck’s “Happy Hour” with 1/2 priced frappaccinos.
So here you go, this is what they sent me. The regular “bases” for the frapps are already confirmed dairy-free (except for the light and caramel drizzle):
Mocha Powder: Sugar, Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Chocolate Liquor, Potassium Sorbate, Vanillin. Water is added to make the syrup.
Used to make the mocha frapp
Matcha Powder: Sugar, Green tea.
Used to make the green tea frapp
Java Chips: CONFECTIONERY COATING (SUGAR, PALM KERNEL AND PALM OILS, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, SOY LECITHIN [EMULSIFIER, E322], VANILLA, MILK), COCOA (PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, 9%), COOKIE CRUMBS (UNBLEACHED UNENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR , SUGAR, PALM AND PALM KERNEL OIL, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, CHOCOLATE MASS, SALT SODIUM BICARBONATE [E500ii], SOY LECITHIN [EMULSIFIER, E322], NATURAL FLAVOR), CHOCOLATE MASS (2%), AND SALT.
* CONTAINS MILK (update from Starbucks 5/12)
Used in the Java Chip Frapp
Vanilla Powder: Vanilla Bean Extract, Dextrose.
Used in the vanilla frapp
Coffee Frappuccino Syrup: Sugar, Water, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Xanthan Gum (E415), Preservative: Potassium Sorbate (E202), Citric Acid (E330), Caramel Color (E150)
Used in the coffee frapp
Crème Frappuccino Flavored Syrup: Water, Sugar, Salt, Artificial Flavor, Xanthan Gum (E415), Preservative: Potassium Sorbate (E202), Citric Acid (E330).
Used in the creme flavor syrup frapps
Strawberry Syrup: STRAWBERRY PUREE, WATER, WHITE GRAPE JUICE CONCENTRATE, NATURAL FLAVOR, AND LYCOPENE COLOR (CONTAINS SOY).
Used in the Strawberry & Creme frapps
(update from Starbucks 5/12)
Light Coffee Frappuccino Syrup (US version): Water, sugar, Erythritol (E968), Natural Flavors, Salt, Carageenan (E407), Xanthan Gum (E415), Maltodextrin, Preservative: Potassium Sorbate (E202), Citric Acid (E330), Reb A, Color: Caramel (E150d, E150b)
Contains Milk & Gluten!
Light Coffee Frappuccino Syrup (Canada version): Water, Sugar, Natural Flavours, Salt, Carrageenan (E407), Xanthan Gun (E415), Maltodextrin, Preservative: Potassium Sorbate (E202), Citric Acid (E330), Sucralose (E955), Colour: Caramel (E150d, E150b).
Contains Milk & Gluten!
What about THIS coffee?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/world/asia/18civetcoffee.html
[For the record, I do not drink coffee or cola, and might have 3 or 4 tea drinks a year (usually with a meal in a Chinese restaurant).]
Ew.
thank you so much for tracking all this info down!!
Great! I was just looking for the ingredients. Do you know what kind of sugar they use?? And if it’s vegan? I thought I heard somewhere they started using a better kind of sugar…….maybe it’s just a rumor.
you know, i’m not sure. i would hope organic….
Thanks!
Does anyone know if there is any sugar in these powders. I wanted one sugar free and they said the syrup is sugar free but the vanila powder they put in is not. Does anyone know how much is put in a drink and how many grams of sugar?
Hiya. Yes there is sugar, as far as I know they do not make a sugar-free version as of now. And the lite version has milk in it. You can look up the nutritional info in grams of sugar here: http://www.starbucks.com/menu/catalog/nutrition?drink=all (just click on the specific product for the nutritional label).
I found out yesterday that they also put an emulsifier in the green tea frapp. I don’t know if they put it in others. There was a recent to-do about whether or not the emulsifiers were animal or vegetable based, and apparently they are indeed veggie. Still, why add more junk to your drink? Ask for it unsweetened and without the emulsifier.
eh, i like my sugar
but thanks for checking that out!!
So if I went in and had a caramel frap with no whip topping or caramel drizzle with soy milk would it be vegan? I’ve never been to a starbucks before and really want to try one of these!
Correct! But make sure you get the regular NOT the light… the light mix has milk in it. And make sure you tell them to make it in the “special blender” — it’s a blender only used for soy, so there’s no gross milk leftovers in it! But be careful… they’re addicting!!
Thanks so much Veggywood!
thanks
Thank you so much for posting this! And thank you, too, for posting all the things you do about vegetarianism & animals!
Thanks Susan
Thank you for posting the Starbucks ingredients and thank you Starbucks for the transparency! I can drink the soy frap! YUM YUM YUM!!!
you’re welcome! the green tea one is my fav…
a email told me all about MSG, a list of foods containing it included Starbucks coffee! true?
hmm. i’m not sure why MSG would be used in coffee… i’ve never run across it in any of the ingredient lists I’ve seen. Regular coffee grounds, beans or like frappachinos?
Hey! I am vegan and actually work for Starbucks here in the US. Here are ingredients that are NOT vegan…
light frappuccino base
java chips
white mocha sauce
caramel sauce (the drizzle that they put on top of fraps and caramel macchiatos)
pumpkin spice sauce (seasonal)
creme brulee sauce (seasonal)
protein powder (in smoothies — you can request smoothies without this, though)
cinnamon dolce sprinkles
This is all I can think of at the moment but there might be one or two more that I am missing.
My favorite frap is soy vanilla bean with added coconut and a banana. YUM!!
yea those are the ones they’ve told me about too….
is there not one standard syrup used for all frappaccinos and then another depending on which flavour you order?
i believe that yes, that is the syrup that now has no dairy products in it.
THANK YOU!!!!! I have tried to get this information so many times!!! I resorted to asking to see packages of everything in my favorite drink-and my modified favorite when I found out the white mocha syrup contains dairy! I wanted to try new things but hate to ask for ingredients everytime I go in!!! I appreciate your hard work and diligence in obtaining the information!!
Thanks Dana! Glad it helped. I need to get an update from them to include some of the new drinks.
I was wondering if M.S.G. as in the coffee beans? Does anyone know?
Thanks for the info. The thing I don’t understand is : why does Starbucks make a big to do about no artificial colours/favors in the food, yet these items are in the drinks…
What about the new salted mocha frap?
I actually emailed them about that one!
I feel so slighted! I’ve been to at least five different Starbucks across Vancouver and the surrounding suburbs – all of them claimed their light Frapp base was dairy-free! I’m also slightly confused because I am gluten-intolerant (to even very small amounts) but drinking light Frapps never set off my symptoms… This is so strange!
Actually I have been hearing that the light base is now dairy-free as well! I still need confirmation from Starbucks though.
Just found your site! Thanks for tracking this info down. Is the mocha powder used in the hot mocha as well? I figured it would be, but when I ordered with soy the other day and doublechecked about the mocha syrup/powder the baristas all said they weren’t sure. Hmm… Any thoughts? Thanks again!
hi – yes as far as i know the mocha used in the hot drinks is the same (it’s a syrup).
It’s a shame that the pumpkin syrup has dairy in it. Every fall I ask for the ingredients, hoping it would have changed. Still no luck.
yea that is a bummer. i wonder why they can’t source one without it….
Thank you for all the info! Just to clarify, a (regular) mocha frappuchino ordered with soy milk IS dairy-free? Great!! I’ve been getting mixed answers from the workers when I go to various locations, so again, thank you for putting this together..
yea, thats right!
I’m not a vegan, but I am very sensitive to chemicals and sugar. I’m also gluten intolerant. These lists were awesome! To find out that Starbucks uses a natural sweetener in their “lite” drinks, and that the strawberry fraps my kids like have no sugar makes my day!
PS Tomorrow through Saturday is BOGO on holiday drinks at Starbucks. So get a friend and go try that new drink!
Oops, I meant Sunday. And it’s from 2-5pm. Enjoy!
Is there carageenan in their organic Vanilla Soy Milk? Thanks!!
Is there carigeenen in their Organic Vanilla Soy Milk?
I really don’t know. I would contact them directly.
also, the strawberries and cream frappucino at the starbucks location I work at is NOT vegan. cochineal is one the ingredients on the new strawberry sauce we got, not sure if it’s a local or nationwide change, best to check with the barista at your starbucks.
thanks for the update!
As far as the light frappuccino base being sugar free, a lot of my fellow baristas are not reading their info. It does contain sugar but less than the regular. Sugar is a necessary component to get the proper consistency. If I am asked if our soy is vegan, I tell them it is not labeled as being vegan since it also contains sugar (it’s vanilla soy) and let them make the decision. I have spoken to many customers about our white mocha, caramel brûlée and pumpkin spice syrups containing dairy because for some it is also a critical health issue. As a whole, we need to be informed so we can keep our customers safe.
That really admirable that you make the effort to make all the ingredients clear. I wish more people did that!
I am celiac and need to know it the caramel they use in their mochiato’s is gluten free. I called to ask and they said they` cant verify it. does anyone know the answer?
I am celiac and need to know if the caramel they use in their mochiato’s is gluten free. I called to ask and they said they` cant verify it. does anyone know the answer?
So now they’re publicizing that their strawberry frapp is colored with lycopene, but two years ago they didn’t fess up to the cochineal bugs. What is wrong with them?
Wait, are these updates from May 2012, or May 12, 2010?
are the cookie crumbles in the mocha cookie crumble frapp vegan?!
originally 2010, the updates in red are more recent.
i do not think so.
I reached out to Starbucks recently for a more updated list and will hopefully receive it soon to post…
There were rumours going around saying that starbucks uses cochineal red coloring for the strawberry frapp and emulsifier from animal source for their coffee. How true is this?
They stopped using the cochineal a few months ago (link to article is in the post). I am not sure about the other thing.