Starbucks Confused?

[Shandizzle]

I work at Starbucks, and my manager said something about avoiding the Frappuccino Light drinks? She said she remembered reading something saying the Light base has gluten in it.

I can pretty much vouch about the chips. I decided to just try the java chip with soy before I read this forum. Not even 5 minutes later, it was ouch time.

So just doing mocha frappuccino with soy from now on. May add a different flavor that isn't on the gluteny list.

[Shandizzle]

To the original poster...don't feel bad about being paranoid. That's how one has to be if they wanna stay gluten-free! I'm definitely on the paranoid side with this diet too. It's like, every unknown food is a potential bomb in my digestive system. Don't want that...high alert!

Anyway I drink the coffee and mocha frappucino's fine. I never ask them to clean the blender or any of that. I do try to keep on eye on when they blend (and they do usually rinse etc.)

I also drink the hot chocolate fine. But due to my paranoia, I ask for it without whip cream although I think that's safe too. Eh, not worth the risk.

Oh to answer another question...and I've drank (drunk? drunken?) those bottles you get in grocery stores before (again, only coffee and mocha) and have been fine.

Just to clarify, our whip cream is made of three things: 1) Heavy Whipping Cream from whatever your local dairy is, 2) Our Vanilla Syrup (which is also in the hot chocolate) and 3) CO₂.

I am a barista and I make whip creams every day I work, so I hope this helps.

Also, the only way I can see cross contamination ever happening is in the cold beverage area at the blender. Since we simply just rinse our blenders after each beverage we make, if your drink is made directly after a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino or a Cafe Vanilla Frappuccino, I can see little tiny particles of that powder hanging on underneath the blade of the blender. At my store, hardly anyone asks for anything that is NOT Dairy or Soy, so you may be able to get away with asking for them to use the "Yellow Non-Dairy Blender" and just have them wash it right afterward in the dishwasher (actually a sanitizer, but you get the point) if you want something WITH dairy or soy blended. At least, that would be the most practical idea at my store.

This might not work at Starbucks inside of Targets, Vons, Smiths, Airports, hotels, etc... as those aren't actually owned by Starbucks. They just license the place they are inside of to use their name.

[BreninMA]

I work at Starbucks, and my manager said something about avoiding the Frappuccino Light drinks? She said she remembered reading something saying the Light base has gluten in it.

I can pretty much vouch about the chips. I decided to just try the java chip with soy before I read this forum. Not even 5 minutes later, it was ouch time.

So just doing mocha frappuccino with soy from now on. May add a different flavor that isn't on the gluteny list.

Yes - the base for the Light Frappuccino's DOES contain "a small amount" of gluten, which is either correct or the party line since two different managers from two different locations used the same verbiage.

[sb2178]

I periodically require my coffee shops to hand me the boxes/containers. All of them. Not everytime, but every couple of months or if I see a different color carton. (Chai and hot chocolate drinker, here, so don't ask me about coffee.)

Anecdotes about popping out to buy new containers of soymilk when they ran out has me wary enough to keep a close eye on things. My work moved recently, and I had finally trained my fav coffee shop people to be paranoid for me...

[Crollick]

This is what I found on the Starbucks global website. It confirms what I have found; everything is fine for me except for the caramel. I always get almond or soy and am fine. Hope this helps! 

EA5CA79CE82B4A3F94872E3CA2C645AD.pdf