Comments on: It’s a Bummer about Starbucks.

By: Tim

Tim — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 13:49:42 +0000

I think starbucks dont like this subject, legally they would have to test the coffee to determine gluten free status, that costs $$.

They would also have to train all staff (thats lots of staff and lots of $$). Stating something GF also means they would be liable if someone could prove cross contamination (more $$)

To prevent cross contaminatio they would have to retrofit all of their locations with GF area (lots of $$).

OR they could just say, No, as only a very small % of our customers are celiacs lets not bother. Many business work by the 80/20 rule, satisfy 80% of your customers, teh other 20 we can afford to lose. Only 2-3% of population have celiacs, and 97% of people with Celiacs have no symptons and are unaware, therefore would not look for GF products.

Its a business, lets not assume businesses have any moral obligations, because they dont. If the Return on Investment (Profit from GF products – $$ spent – $$ potential liabilities) is negative it would be a dumb business move to do it.

Starbuck really dont care, no company really cares, its all about moeny.

By: Debbie Octernaud

Debbie Octernaud — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 17:58:00 +0000

So that explains why I got sick on Sunday. I used to drink sugar free lattes at Starbuck, until I learned they had malt in their syrups. My husband loves Starbucks, so we went for a drink on Sunday, he had his normal Espresso Dopio and pastry, and I ordered Orange tea and a bag of gluten free/vegan sweet potato chips. I still felt sick for the next two days. I’m guessing pulling the open tea bag out of the can with an ungloved hand could have cross contaminated my tea. No more Starbucks for me!

By: How Gluten Ends up in your Latte! | Friendship without Bread

How Gluten Ends up in your Latte! | Friendship without Bread — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 18:02:22 +0000

[...] about problems with Starbucks drinks. You can read her post It’s a Bummer about Starbucks here. Last year, Starbucks refused to guarantee products could be gluten-free or even create precautions [...]

By: Akkuschrauber Makita

Akkuschrauber Makita — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 11:57:02 +0000

Akkuschrauber Makita…

It’s a Bummer about Starbucks. | Gluten free recipes, resources, and news. Easy allergy friendly recipes and baking tips using Jules Gluten Free Flour….

By: The AllergyEats Blog » Blog Archive » Dunkin’ Donuts allergy sign creates controversy

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 13:11:55 +0000

[...] Jules: Starbucks is no different. It’s a shame they don’t care enough to even find out whether there are allergens in their offerings – not even coffee! http://blog.julesglutenfree.com/?p=337 [...]

By: Tina P.

Tina P. — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 15:06:55 +0000

I stopped having my occasional soy chai tea latte at Starbucks after it made me feel icky. Now I see why. I do think it’s arrogance on the part of Starbuck’s and other companies who basically tell the gluten-free community “we don’t care about you or your money.” Fine. I won’t be spending any of my money with you, and neither will the rest of my family. The only thing that will make these companies change their policies is if their profits go down. Or, someone in management is diagnosed with celiac disease.

By: °ºTips for the Bread Machine | Bread Machine Yeastº°_Review & Shop Bread Makers— Review & Shop Bread Makers

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 00:27:10 +0000

[...] It's a Bummer about Starbucks. | Jules Speaks Gluten Free Blog [...]

By: Tina

Tina — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 01:06:20 +0000

I also was fortunate enough to try the Valencia Cakes that Starbucks had for a short time. I was thrilled to be able to sit with my husband and have something to eat with him. He is not Celiac. And, I also was told they would no longer be having them as they didn’t sell. I emailed Starbucks about this and asked why there was not advertising? I asked if they had done any research as to the demand for GF food and beverages. I did not receive any response to my email. I have invested in an espresso machine. I know people that work for ‘bucks – and they do not normally sanitize between beverages. So, they steam milk and with the same wand steam soymilk. I have watched that. This is not a safe establishment in so many ways for Celiacs.

By: Caryn Talty

Caryn Talty — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 14:29:25 +0000

It is frustrating. We used to get the orange cakes at the local Starbucks nearest to our house. But you are right, they were never brought out to more than a few locations. About 1 1/2 yrs ago when I was traveling I noticed that they weren’t offered at any of the airport locations. I thought that was sheer marketing stupidity. If I was Starbucks Marketing Manager I would have piloted them at airport locations. It’s a cornered market. You have celiac, you’re stuck traveling and need to eat safely…. What’s more perfect than a cup of Joe and an orange cake to tide you over? Makes total sense. But Starbucks probably just feels like they can afford not to cater to special diets. It seems obvious to them that they don’t need to…. I never liked the taste of their coffee anyway (sheepish grin)!

By: Donna Patterson

Donna Patterson — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 23:14:45 +0000

I was lucky enough to stumble across the Valencia Orange Pound Cake Just once. It was wonderful. When I inquired about it at my neighborhood Starbucks, I was told they didn’t have enough demand for it and they had no plans on ordering it in the future because there were too many in the case and they could not sell them all. Maybe better advertising or a sign would have helped. For a company that is complaining of lagging sales they really aren’t going after a growng number of customers who are willing too spend the money on these items. I don’t know if it is just arrogance or stupidity.