Monday, September 7, 2015

Fall in Love Again: Starbucks Adds Real Pumpkin to their Famous ...

{Image Credit: Starbucks Corp.}

{Image Credit: Starbucks Corp.}

Earlier this month, Starbucks announced it would makeover their popular seasonal fall drink, the Pumpkin Spice Latte by adding a dose of—get this—real pumpkin puree!

Upon hearing feedback from customers and company partners about the ingredients found in a Pumpkin Spice Latte, Starbucks decided to do away with the caramel coloring and go the au natural route. Critics and fans of the company speculate that the change might have come about thanks to food blogger, Vani Hari also known as the “Food Babe” who shared the unhealthy side of everyone’s favorite autumnal drink in a controversial blog post.

After months of research and testing, Starbucks Corp. finally decided to make the change for the benefit of simplicity. First coming onto the scene in 2003 with seemingly no market for the pumpkin spiced beverage, the Pumpkin Spice Latte was unassuming with its ingredients—espresso, perfectly steamed milk, and warm fall spices full of that delicious autumn flavor reminiscent of a warm pumpkin pie. With that ideology and increasing clout from consumer growth over the years, Starbucks went to the core of its most celebrated brew.

Peter Dukes, the director of Espresso and Brewed Coffee for Starbucks Corp. is convinced the addition of pumpkin puree will remind consumers of the cool, crisp days of autumn without a reinvention.

“When we first surveyed our customers with our top ideas for a new fall beverage, pumpkin scored right in the middle of the pack,” Dukes said in a news release from Starbucks. “But the uniqueness of the beverage was very high, and it caught our attention. We played with the spice and the level of sweetness, tasting hundreds of different versions. Ultimately, we found that the spicy notes of cinnamon, clove, ginger and nutmeg brought out the espresso—letting the coffee shine through.”

However, Starbucks isn’t the only coffee provider revamping their pumpkin-flavored lattes. Though known for continually including real pumpkin flavoring in their lattes, Panera Bread announced in a press release last month that it would unveil a fresh spin on their pumpkin latte utilizing “clean” ingredients without using artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or preservatives.

Follow the adventures of PSL on social media. {Image Credit: Starbucks Corp./Instagram}

With the growing pressure from consumers and the media for food companies like Starbucks Corp. to provide nutritional and transparent options, the modification to the popular beverage is highly welcomed. While the addition of real ingredients won’t elevate the beverage to a healthier option for consumers, the switch from caramel coloring to pumpkin puree could add a small dose of vitamin A and C to the mix, along with a little more fiber.

The all-new Pumpkin Spice Latte (with real pumpkin), marking the bittersweet beginning of the fall season will be available in-stores on September 8 and found in nearly 50 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

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The Pumpkin Spice Latte fans are encouraged to follow the official Twitter, Tumblr accounts of the “TheRealPSL” for the very latest, along with its newest account on social media, Instagram.

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