Have you ever wondered how Starbucks makes their Strawberry Frappuccinos look so vibrantly pink? The pink hue is thanks to crushed up insects, according to new information provided by the coffee chain giant。

　　In a statement released by Starbucks, the company has revealed that they use cochineal extract, which is the ground-up bodies of insects, as a dye for the popular rose-coloured beverage. Bugs from mainly Mexico and South America are dried out before they are ground and used in the milky-based Frappuccino drink。

　　As stomach-turning as it may sound, the ingredient is in fact harmless. Commonly used to help liven up the dull hues of jams, meats, cheese, baked goods, alcoholic drinks and more, cochineal extract has been used as a colouring agent in food and drinks for centuries. It has been deemed safe by the United States’ Food and Drug Administration。

　　Starbucks said it had decided to use cochineal extract to help limit the use of artificial ingredients in its products. ‘At Starbucks, we strive to carry products that meet a variety of dietary lifestyles and needs,’ the statement read. ‘While the strawberry base isn’t a vegan product, it helps us move away from artificial dyes.’

　　But the all-natural matter is not entirely free of health risks. The World Health Organisation has found that cochineal extract may cause asthma in some people. Others may see an allergic reaction。

　　Vegan fans may not be happy with its inclusion either. ThisDishIsVegetarian.com, an animal rights and eco-friendly news site, labels the extract non-vegan。

　　咖啡里有蟲(chóng)子？根據(jù)美國(guó)媒體報(bào)道，星巴克連鎖咖啡店為了減少使用人造色素，宣布改用胭脂蟲(chóng)提取物為草苺星冰樂(lè)飲品加色。專(zhuān)家指出，這種昆蟲(chóng)著色劑可能會(huì)令哮喘患者過(guò)敏。

　　報(bào)道引述星巴克的聲明稱(chēng)，采用了胭脂蟲(chóng)提取物為草苺星冰樂(lè)加色，以胭脂蟲(chóng)的天然色素取代人造色素。胭脂蟲(chóng)主要來(lái)自墨西哥和南美地區(qū)，曬干后被用于紅色飲品的食用染料。星巴克重申，以胭脂蟲(chóng)加色的做法對(duì)人體無(wú)害，已經(jīng)被美國(guó)食品及藥物管理局(FDA)證實(shí)安全。

　　有專(zhuān)家指出，這種加色方法雖然被廣泛用于果醬、酒精飲品等，但世界衛(wèi)生組織已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)，胭脂蟲(chóng)可能令部分哮喘患者出現(xiàn)過(guò)敏反應(yīng)。

　　星巴克用胭脂蟲(chóng)提取劑作為著色劑的消息還激怒了一些素食團(tuán)體。讓這些素食主義者吃驚的是，當(dāng)他們?cè)谛前涂酥刑匾恻c(diǎn)一杯不含牛奶的草莓味飲料時(shí)，他們?cè)詾槭遣缓魏蝿?dòng)物產(chǎn)品的，事實(shí)上卻不是“素食”。

　　【胭脂蟲(chóng)小科普】

　　胭脂蟲(chóng)，寄生在多刺的仙人掌上，通常形成集群，背有白色蠟粉和絲線(xiàn)狀覆蓋物，明顯易見(jiàn)。胭脂蟲(chóng)體內(nèi)含胭脂紅酸(C22H20O13)，可以制成胭脂紅色素廣泛地用于食品、化妝品、藥品等多種行業(yè)中。