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Starbucks Changes Dye In Strawberry Drink

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

And today's last word in business is: tall, strawberry frappuccino. Hold the bugs.

Vegetarians and others were highly distressed after finding out that Starbucks uses a red coloring in some of its drinks that's made from crushed bugs - the juice of a tiny beetle. Of course, these days when people get mad they go online, and this online protest campaign delivered thousands of angry emails to Starbucks headquarters. And Starbucks caved. Yesterday, the company announced it will no longer used bug-based coloring in its drinks and desserts. That's where the world is today. It takes a protest campaign to make a company stop feeding you bugs. Instead, it will color its strawberry frappuccino, strawberry-banana smoothie and red velvet whoopee pie with tomato-based ingredients.

That's the business news on MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.

LYNN NEARY, HOST:

And I'm Lynn Neary. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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