This year the pumpkin spice latte will actually contain real pumpkin.
Brace yourself this autumn, because pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks are getting a major makeover.
What is new about this seasonal favorite? Well, this year the pumpkin spice latte will actually contain pumpkin.
In the past, coloring was used for the drink’s hue and pumpkin spice flavorings gave it the taste, but there was not any pumpkin in the beverage. Now, pumpkin puree will be part of the recipe and the caramel coloring will be out.
Starbucks announced the change in a blog post that listed all of the ingredients, but the big announcement came through Twitter, straight from the latte’s mouth.
Yes, Starbucks’ pumpkin spice latter has an official Twitter handle, @TheRealPSL. The account embraces the voice that many people associate with the pumpkin spice-obsessed masses.
The tweet announcing the use of real pumpkin is a perfect example.
“In between a yoga retreat and a vision quest, I made a big decision to use real pumpkin. My dad is so proud,” the tweet reads, then links to the official announcement.
This announcement is the latest in a trend of major brands dropping artificial ingredients.
Panera Bread Co. has also announced that they will offer a “clean” pumpkin spice latte. The restaurant intends to get rid of artificial additives in its menu offerings by 2016.
Papa John’s pizza is also working to drop additives in its food. Chipotle Mexican Grill is dropping all genetically modified items from their restaurants.
Taco Bell stopped using chemicals and dyes in their food as well, replacing them with natural ingredients. Well, most of them. Some of their co-branded menu items (the Doritos line or the Cap’n Crunch dessert) may still include chemicals or dyes.
Other fast food chains like McDonald’s and Subway have also started to scale back on the number of chemicals in their menu items.
Consumers are increasingly looking for healthier menus, even from fast food restaurants. And it seems that restaurants are starting to get the memo.
