SEATTLE Jamba Juice earlier this month have raised the stakes in the growing controversy over high-fructose corn syrup as a ubiquitous ingredient in American foodservice. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
Beginning June 30, Starbucks said it would unveil a line of new baked goods made without what it called “unnecessary stuff,” including artificial flavors, colors, and, most significantly, high-fructose corn syrup, or HFCS, which the chain said it has removed from the menu across the board. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
Earlier this month, Emeryville, Calif.-based Jamba Juice also introduced a new food menu with sandwiches, salads, flatbreads and new Fruit Tea blends—all of which are also being promoted as free of HFCS and artificial flavors or preservatives. Now in 222 California locations, the menu is expected to be available throughout the 732-unit chain within a year, officials said. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
A sweetener commonly used in place of sugar, HFCS has been assailed by some as a contributor to the nation’s growing problem with obesity and heart disease. A study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation in May indicated that fructose-sweetened beverages led to higher levels of LDL, or “bad” cholesterol. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
However, the American Medical Association maintains that HFCS has the same caloric content as sugar and, once absorbed in the bloodstream, the sweeteners are undistinguishable. Both will contribute to obesity if too much is consumed, according to the AMA, and many dietitians remain unconvinced that favoring sugar over HFCS is justified. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
Still, the anti-HFCS sentiment among consumers is growing and some operators are responding. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
The 212-unit Jason’s Deli chain, based in Beaumont, Texas, last year eliminated HFCS from its food menu. Officials with the 85-unit Which Wich chain, based in Dallas, say they are also moving in that direction. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
Other restaurant operators are promoting “cane-sugar sweetened” products to appeal to HFCS-avoiding clientele. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
When Taco Bell introduced its new Frutista Freeze beverages last year, the drinks were described as “sweetened with sucrose,” as opposed to HFCS. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
Starbucks’ secondary brand, Seattle’s Best Coffee, also offers a line of Red Cane Kolas sweetened with pure cane sugar. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
Starbucks, however, with its more than 7,000 units in the United States, is the largest chain to date to take a no-HFCS stand. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
Officials at both Starbucks and Jamba Juice said their decisions to eliminate HFCS from menu items came in response to consumer demand. The moves, however, also offer the brands a point of differentiation at a time when competition for the consumers’ dollar is particularly tight. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
While HFCS can be found in a range of products, from ketchup to bread, the sweetener is commonly used in sodas made in the United States, in part because it historically has cost less than cane or beet sugars and beverage makers favor its shelf stability and pourability, according to the Coke website. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
However, some beverage companies appear to be responding to consumer demand for sugar-sweetened drinks. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
PepsiCo earlier this year introduced a new “Pepsi Natural” in certain markets, sweetened with a blend of cane and beet sugars. The beverage maker also introduced for a limited time this spring a product called “Pepsi Throwback” and “Mountain Dew Throwback,” also cane and beet sugar-sweetened. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
However, Nicole Bradley, a Pepsi spokeswoman, said the company has no current plans to bring HFCS-free products to Pepsi’s restaurant partners. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
Ray Crockett, director of communications for Coca-Cola North America in Atlanta, said his company offers a range of products to meet consumer preferences, including beverages with non-nutritive sweeteners, such as Diet Coke. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
With Coke as the leading brand, he said, “consumer research indicates that there is no discernible difference in the taste of our products based on the sweetener used. That authentic, real cola taste is why, around the world, a Coke is a Coke is a Coke.” —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
Still, in the Southeast, demand is growing for Coke made in Mexico, where the product is sugar sweetened. That demand is fueled both by the nation’s growing Hispanic population, as well as the anti-HFCS movement, reports indicate. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
Crockett said Coke from Mexico is sold by bottler Coca-Cola Enterprises in several states, including Texas and California, and this year the product’s availability will expand to other states throughout the Southeast. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
Jeff Sinelli, founder, president and “chief vibe officer” for the Which Wich sandwich chain, said his new secondary concept, Burguesa Burger in Dallas, offers the sugar-sweetened Coke from Mexico—in part because of the concept’s appeal to Hispanic diners but also because he has designed the concept to avoid HFCS altogether. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
Burguesa Burger offers a proprietary line of cane-sugar sweetened fountain drinks, in cola, orange, grapefruit and lemon lime flavors. The drinks are priced about the same as mainstream brands: $1.50 for a small and $2 for a large, with free refills. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
Sinelli said he is working to eliminate HFCS from the menu at Which Wich, but “100-percent elimination is really dependent on the manufacturers and will ultimately result in higher prices.” —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
Still, Sinelli is a believer in avoiding HFCS. His wife has battled a brain tumor in recent years that he thinks may have been diet related. They are attempting to raise their daughter on “clean” foods, and try to avoid HFCS as part of that effort. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
“We think it’s worth the investment,” he said. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
Rusty Coco, co-owner of the Jason’s Deli sandwich chain, said he insisted on the removal of HFCS as part of a health-focused overhaul that began in 2004 and also included the removal of trans fats and monosodium glutamate. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
“We felt like it was the right thing to do before it was the popular thing to do,” Coco said. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
Ultimately, the goal was to offer products that were “less fooled around with,” he said. “Cane sugar is more of a natural, pure ingredient.” —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
Coco said the result was better-tasting food, and that surveys and mystery shops indicated consumers loved it. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
In terms of food costs, making the switch was “close to a wash,” he said, noting that high corn prices last year pushed up the cost of corn syrup products. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
Coco, however, said the chain still offers fountain beverages made with HFCS, largely because of the company’s long-term contracts. Meanwhile, the chain has brought in bottled Boylan brand cane-sugar sweetened sodas as an alternative. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
On his blog last year, Coco asked customers about soda preferences. About 7,000 responded, with 68 percent of those saying they would prefer cane-sugar sodas over HFCS-sweetened versions. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
Coco said he has made such views clear to his suppliers. —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader
“We’re hoping one of these major players will come to the market with a bag-in-the-box product that doesn’t use HFCS,” he said, referring to the type of packaging typically used for soda fountain beverages.— [email protected] —Menu revamps at both coffeehouse giant Starbucks Corp. and smoothie leader