What’s Hiding Beneath the Foam?

What’s Hiding Beneath the Foam? Deconstructing the Pumpkin Spice Latte

Deconstructing the Pumpkin Spice Latte

In October 2003, Starbucks introduced the Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) to the world. But it wasn’t until 12 years later, in 2015, that they added any actual pumpkin to the recipe. This change coincided with another significant improvement: the replacement of artificial caramel color, which contained a carcinogen called 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI), with a more natural coloring agent derived from annatto. These adjustments were made in response to a viral 2014 blog post titled You’ll Never Guess What’s in a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte (Hint: You Won’t Be Happy), where food activist Vani Hari exposed Starbucks’ use of artificial colors and flavors, lack of transparency, and the startling fact that their iconic drink contained absolutely no pumpkin.

So, Is It Healthy Now?

Unfortunately, no. Despite the addition of “pumpkin” puree, the change was so minimal that it didn’t alter the nutritional label. Moreover, this so-called pumpkin addition includes potassium sorbate as a preservative. The bigger issue is that the majority of the flavoring is still artificial. The pumpkin pie spice blend—traditionally a mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove—is primarily composed of synthetic versions of these spices.

According to an article in Popular Science titled Here’s the Skinny on What Actually Flavors a Pumpkin Spice Latte, “only 10 percent of this commercial blend is actually plant-based. The remaining 90 percent is synthetic chemicals and preservatives, containing over 340 flavor compounds.” Registered dietitian Emily DeWitt explained in her 2017 article, Pumpkin Spice? Sorry… try some cinnamaldehyde and zingiberene, that the artificial flavor cinnamaldehyde substitutes for cinnamon, sabinene for nutmeg, zingiberene for ginger, and eugenol for clove or allspice.

And Then There’s the Sugar…

The Center for Science in the Public Interest reports that a Grande Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte contains a staggering 50 grams of sugar.

• A Grande is 16 ounces, which translates to a little over 3 grams of sugar per ounce.
• To put this into perspective, a 12-ounce Slurpee contains 24 grams of sugar (2 grams per ounce), and a
• 20-ounce bottle of Gatorade contains 36 grams of sugar (1.8 grams per ounce).
  
  The American Heart Association recommends no more than 36 grams of added sugar per day for men and 25 grams for women.
  
  One Pumpkin Spice Latte exceeds the daily sugar recommendation for women by nearly double. And, the Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai is even worse, packing a whopping 66 grams of sugar!

Do Alternatives Exist? Absolutely!

I’m sharing this information to raise awareness and promote transparency in our food system, empowering us all to make more informed choices. It’s far easier to consume excess calories and sugar through beverages than it is through food, so we must be extra vigilant about what’s in our cup. The good news is that you can enjoy a delicious, indulgent drink without compromising your health.

Our MSAK Version

For instance, instead of 50 grams of refined sugar, a tiny amount of squash puree, preservatives, and artificial flavors, our Modern Stone Age Kitchen Fall Spice Latte features:

• squash puree made with local butternut squash, 
• real cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg, and is 
• sweetened with pure maple syrup. 

Our Fall Spice Latte contains 22 grams of pure maple syrup—no artificial sweeteners, no artificial colors, and a minimal amount of unrefined sweetener.

Labels are misleading . . .

Remember, the name of a food or drink can be misleading. Hidden beneath a benign label like “bread,” “cheese,” or even “latte” can be completely different substances. What they’re made of and how they’re produced makes all the difference. At one end of the spectrum, you have substances that cause harm and shouldn’t be considered food. At the other end, you have ingredients that have the potential to nourish.