Starbucks VIA Ready Brew Iced "Coffee" Contains More Sugar Than Coffee
While in line at Starbucks yesterday to grab a cup of coffee, I checked out their new VIA Ready Brew packets and was shocked to see that the packets contain more sugar than coffee!
Here you can see the front of the packaging calls this instant drink: "Iced Coffee Lightly Sweetened."
But if you look at the nutritional information on the back of the package, you'll see this instant drink is hardly "lightly" sweetened.
The very first ingredient listed (which is required by law to be the "main" ingredient) is sugar! Further, there are 11 grams of sugar per 13.3 gram serving!
To top off this misleading packaging, there are TWO servings per packet. These packets are clearly intended for single use (dare I say "single serving packets"?) so to list a serving size as half a packet on the nutrition facts label is a clear attempt at fooling the consumer.
Rather than feeling anger at Starbucks for this misleading and sugary drink packaging, I feel deceived and tricked by my own government. Doesn't the Food and Drug Administration exist to protect American citizens? Why then does the FDA allow companies to sell products labeled as "coffee" when the very first and main ingredient is sugar?
Does anyone else feel betrayed by Starbucks and the FDA for allowing such misleading labels to exist in the food marketplace? Will you still be trying the VIA Ready Brew line of instant coffeenow that you know it is more sugar than coffee?
