Starbucks set to 'further MAHA' its menu, RFK Jr says
Published: |
The specific changes were not revealed, but Niccol has previously said he wants his chain's drinks to contain less sugar and to include health-promoting ingredients — potentially including protein powder. Revealing the meeting on X, RFK Jr said he was 'pleased to learn' that Starbucks menus 'already avoid artificial dyes, artificial flavors, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and other additives'.
Last week, the chain revealed it was testing a sugar-free vanilla latte topped with protein banana cold foam, and earlier this year it removed sugar from its matcha powder — after which sales of the drink spiked 40 percent. The chain has also dropped the 80-cent surcharge on its nondairy milks — which they said was to improve customer experience.
Starbucks is the largest coffee chain in the US, with nearly 17,000 stores nationwide — although it has seen sales decline recently. Its proposed changes come amid a 'MAHA-isation' of America's food supply, with major corporations rushing to remove additives and artificial dyes from their products to fall more in line with the new administration's Make America Healthy Again initiative.
RFK Jr's supporters were quick to react angrily to the move, however, accusing the HHS Secretary of 'propping up' a big corporation and saying Starbucks' move was 'too little, too late'. One commenter on X said: 'Sir. Why are you doing this? There are 81 grams of sugar in Starbucks' most popular drink.
'Cool they're not using dyes, or high fructose corn syrup, I'm happy about that. But, this is not what we're here to prop up. These companies should be shamed for driving the chronic disease epidemic.' A second said: 'Mr Kennedy, that's all great and all, but you do realize those drinks have an enormous amount of calories, which will do more harm than dyes and sweeteners.'
Others shared the long list of ingredients in Starbucks' staples like the sausage, cheddar and egg sandwich, which included Maltodextrin and Xanthan Gum, emulsifiers linked to a higher risk of colon cancer, and ammonium sulfate, an inorganic salt often used as a fertilizer. Starbucks has regularly faced criticism over the high calorie and sugar content of its drinks — with high consumption of these linked to weight gain.
Its summer menu includes a berry iced drink called Summer Skies, which has 26 grams of sugar per 16-ounce serving, and a Summer-Berry Lemonade Refresher, which contains 33 grams of sugar in a 16-ounce serving. The American Heart Association recommends that men consume no more than 36 grams of added sugar a day, and women no more than 25 grams per day.
During the 2024 election, Starbucks spent more than $1.5million on political lobbying efforts, donating $11,118 to the Trump campaign, records suggest , and more than $488,000 to Democrat candidates — including $158,365 to then-vice president Kamala Harris.
The coffee behemoth is far from the only one making radical changes. Earlier this week, Kraft Heinz — the company behind Kraft Mac and Cheese and Heinz Ketchup — revealed it would remove artificial colors from its products by 2027. And General Mills, which produces Cheerios, also said it would banish artificial colors from its foods by the same year.
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Starbucks set to 'further MAHA' its menu, RFK Jr says
Published: | The specific changes were not revealed, but Niccol has previously said he wants his chain's drinks to contain less sugar and to include health-promoting ingredients — potentially including protein powder. Revealing the meeting on X, RFK Jr said he was 'pleased to learn' that Starbucks menus 'already avoid artificial dyes, artificial flavors, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and other additives'. Last week, the chain revealed it was testing a sugar-free vanilla latte topped with protein banana cold foam, and earlier this year it removed sugar from its matcha powder — after which sales of the drink spiked 40 percent. The chain has also dropped the 80-cent surcharge on its nondairy milks — which they said was to improve customer experience. Starbucks is the largest coffee chain in the US, with nearly 17,000 stores nationwide — although it has seen sales decline recently. Its proposed changes come amid a 'MAHA-isation' of America's food supply, with major corporations rushing to remove additives and artificial dyes from their products to fall more in line with the new administration's Make America Healthy Again initiative. RFK Jr's supporters were quick to react angrily to the move, however, accusing the HHS Secretary of 'propping up' a big corporation and saying Starbucks' move was 'too little, too late'. One commenter on X said: 'Sir. Why are you doing this? There are 81 grams of sugar in Starbucks' most popular drink. 'Cool they're not using dyes, or high fructose corn syrup, I'm happy about that. But, this is not what we're here to prop up. These companies should be shamed for driving the chronic disease epidemic.' A second said: 'Mr Kennedy, that's all great and all, but you do realize those drinks have an enormous amount of calories, which will do more harm than dyes and sweeteners.' Others shared the long list of ingredients in Starbucks' staples like the sausage, cheddar and egg sandwich, which included Maltodextrin and Xanthan Gum, emulsifiers linked to a higher risk of colon cancer, and ammonium sulfate, an inorganic salt often used as a fertilizer. Starbucks has regularly faced criticism over the high calorie and sugar content of its drinks — with high consumption of these linked to weight gain. Its summer menu includes a berry iced drink called Summer Skies, which has 26 grams of sugar per 16-ounce serving, and a Summer-Berry Lemonade Refresher, which contains 33 grams of sugar in a 16-ounce serving. The American Heart Association recommends that men consume no more than 36 grams of added sugar a day, and women no more than 25 grams per day. During the 2024 election, Starbucks spent more than $1.5million on political lobbying efforts, donating $11,118 to the Trump campaign, records suggest , and more than $488,000 to Democrat candidates — including $158,365 to then-vice president Kamala Harris. The coffee behemoth is far from the only one making radical changes. Earlier this week, Kraft Heinz — the company behind Kraft Mac and Cheese and Heinz Ketchup — revealed it would remove artificial colors from its products by 2027. And General Mills, which produces Cheerios, also said it would banish artificial colors from its foods by the same year.
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