A few years ago, we happily passed on the news that a change in Starbucks Frappuccino flavors meant that you could get some flavors in a vegan formulation. But now, if you’re a Frappuccino lover who eschews eating animals, you’ll have to stay away from the strawberry variety from here out. The good news is that the newest base doesn’t contain artificial red food dye. The bad news is that’s because it’s been replaced with cochineal extract, a dye made from dried, ground-up insects.

You might say “ew!” or just shrug this off, but it’s a big deal to vegans. The site This Dish is Veg tipped us off to the change, and they in turn learned about it from a vegan barista who read the new ingredients list. They checked in with Starbucks, and this was the company’s statement:

At Starbucks, we strive to carry products that meet a variety of dietary lifestyles and needs. We also have the goal to minimize artificial ingredients in our products. While the strawberry base isn’t a vegan product, it helps us move away from artificial dyes.

Many Starbucks ingredients can be combined to create a beverage free from animal-derived products; however, we are unable to guarantee this due to the potential cross-contamination with other animal-derived products in our retail locations.

Beware: Starbucks’ Soy Strawberries & Creme Frappuccino is NOT vegan [This Dish Is Veg]

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