News: Organic Soy Milk at Starbucks!

Starbucks may be the McDonalds of the coffee world, but sometimes there is just no way around that jones for a cup of joe. Today was one of those days.  A late night of wishing friends farewell from the city of angels turned into sleeping past my alarm and running late for work. With no time to make my usual breakfast, I was hurting for a jump start. With Starbucks directly across the street from my office it was my only option. As I walked in, silently wishing I was at Intelligentsia, I committed myself to an old school americano to replace my normal latte today. I was about to order when out of the corner of my eye jumped a fabulous green USDA label into my line of view. What was this? Organic milk at Starbucks? Well not exactly. They now serve organic soy milk. 

So what does that mean? According to the USDA if the the label reads 100 percent organic, 95 percent of all products put into the soy milk must be produced organically. If the label reads "made with organic materials", then only 70 percent of the products put into the soy milk must be produced organically.

The use of the following is strictly prohibited:

Chemical pesticides

Chemical fertilizers

The use of chemicals such as hexane, to separate the soy oil from the soy proteins and fibers.

What it also means is that the product is free of genetically modified organisms. No modification should mean NO MONSANTO! While I cannot prove this (there are no labeling claims around saying Monsanto bean free) the laws of organic certification should proclude their beans from any organic labeling as they are inherently genetically modified.

So next time you are in Starbucks order soy and you will get a little splash of organic in your life. I added a dash to my Americano which brought my drink into the new school, as I felt a little better about my morning. 

Happy Eating!