Starbucks Caramel Macchiato
Argh!! I went to starbucks today to order a yummy caramel macchiato with soy, only to find out that the caramel drizzle sauce used on top is made with milk!! if it wasnt for the drizzle actually being for sale i would never have discovered this, especially as Starbucks told me that only the hot chocolate and frappacinos are the only non-vegan things (even if made with soy)... needless to say I sent the following email to them:
To whom this may concern,
On the 25th of March 2008 I received an email from a member of staff who is a customer care specialist regarding which products of yours are suitable for Vegans.
In that email (reference 249368) I was informed by a Ms. Helen Carrington that the only non-Vegan beverages are Frappucinos and your Signature Hot-Chocolate, and that the rest would be suitable provided they are made with soy milk.
Since I received that email, I have regularly visited my local Starbucks which is a new branch. Upon entering this branch today I ordered a Grande Caramel Macchiato with Soy, which is by far my most favourite drink, particularly due to the caramel drizzle which I enjoy very much.
As I was waiting for my beverage to be made, I saw that the drizzle sauce for this beverage was for sale in your store. To my horror, I then discovered that the sauce contains 'SEMI SKIMMED MILK'. After noticing this, I cancelled my order and received a refund.
I am shocked and disgusted that Starbucks has not provided me with correct information regarding this matter, since any animal product is not acceptable in Veganism, especially animal milk which is regarded as unnatural and not suitable for human consumption.
Whilst I am fully aware that there could be a slight chance of my hot beverage containing a small trace of cows milk, I did not make the sender aware of the motivations for my questions, and had I been asking due to a milk allergy, consumption of this product may have caused me to have a variety of reactions including skin conditions, gastrointestinal conditions or respiratory conditions.
For these reasons I feel that I have not been treated in an honest manner by your customer service team. There is a large need for both staff members in store and on the customer services team to make customers aware exactly what is going to be in their beverages. An intelligent person is not required in order to work out that if a customer is ordering a beverage with soy milk instead of cows milk, then there is a high possibility that they cannot consume cows milk due to a variety of reasons.
Currently I am aghast that I have been consuming animal products due to the misinformation provided to me by Starbucks. As a Vegan such an error of judgement on the part of Starbucks or any consumer organisation is considered a grave matter. I now ask of you to provide me with further information on how you plan to rectify this situation.
Looking forward to a positive response.
Yours Sincerely,
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