Ahhhh, the token drink of fall ... the pumpkin spice latte. The smell of pumpkin and cinnamon fill your nostrils ... until you read reports that it's not actually pumpkin.
McDonald's pumpkin spice syrup contains all sorts of hard-to-pronounce things like annatto extract, which it lists as a color, preservative potassium sorbate and xanthan gum, a commonly used thickening agent.
As for Dunkin' Donuts', they aren't off the hook, either. Theirs contains high fructose corn syrup, food additives mono- and diglycerides and "Pumpkin Spice Flavored Syrup," meaning it's a syrup that's supposed to taste like pumpkin spice ... but it's not actually pumpkin-spiced.
Investigative food blogger Food Babe finally got her hands on the ingredients in Starbucks' pumpkin spice after she emailed the company. She noted after much frustration and, we think, magic, she got them to disclose the full list.
She found two doses of Class IV caramel coloring, something made with ammonia, and what she called a"toxic" dose of sugar in a grande, Starbucks' equivalent of a medium.
KSHB: "When you're basking in all that pumpkin glory, you're probably not doing it for all the health benefits. ... A typical pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks has 37 grams of sugar. You're only supposed to have 25 grams in an entire day."
So ... we've been living in pumpkin-flavored lies for years?! But seriously, how many of you are still going to order a pumpkin spice something this fall anyway?
If you are looking for a healthy alternative anyway, you'd find a ton of options online.
This video includes music from Risey / CC BY NC 3.0.
About the Author
