One of the mega chains smoothie products caused a bit of an uproar within the vegan community after an employee took a photograph of the new product packaging for the Strawberry flavored version which contained a detailed ingredient listing. The posted online images listed Carmine extract, which contributes a pinkish-red hue to beverages and food products. Since Carmine extract is derived from ground cochineal beetles indigenous to Latin America. It appears unlikely that the company was attempting to mislead its customers however, as the packaging stated Cochineal extract as the offending ingredient. The animal rights group PETA, in relation to this story, reported that it requires more than 70,000 insects to produce one pound of the natural coloring. An online petition was started that garnered over 6500 entries protesting the use in the product, which has now been reformulated without the offending blend.
 |  Results from a poll from cdc.ca offering insight to public opinion on this matter. |
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