Starbucks Customer Issues Warning After What She Noticed Inside Her Caramel Frappuccino: "I Found..."

Plastic could easily be ruled as one of the most controversial inventions of humankind. While Leo Baekeland, the chemist who created the first synthetic plastic Bakelite in 1907, has etched his name in history books, the world has struggled to keep pace with the polymer ever since. Detrimental to all forms of life–marine or terrestrial– the environment and natural resources, the hazards of plastic only swell with time and now have infiltrated into our drinks. A TikTok user Binx who goes by @beeounzel was left horrified to find plastic shards in her drink purchased from Starbucks. 

In a viral video, the creator narrated her experience while showcasing the plastic bits brewed in with her caramel frappuccino. While not a regular customer at Starbucks, she said a long night the day before had urged her to get one early in the morning. “Usually I don’t go to f*****g Starbucks, but I needed it,” she explained. Thankfully, the woman was alerted by the odd taste of her drink and decided to investigate the matter. It was barely what she had anticipated. “Look what I found in my drink. Sharp, hard white plastic,” she revealed. 

The bizarre scenario was as concerning as it sounds. After finding a few sharp bits, the lifestyle influencer was convinced that it was likely that the drink was filled with more. Quite accurately, she discovered countless pieces emerging from the white residue of the drink. “I am trying to strain it out to see how many pieces I can find and it was like never-ending,” she added. The woman eventually got tired of straining the leftovers and rinsed the strainer to find a whole new bunch of plastic shards. “Starbucks Caramel Frapp with a side of sharp HARD plastic,” the woman quipped in the caption. The snippet has amassed over 1.4 million views. 

Simultaneously, the post was flooded with wild reactions from netizens criticizing the sheer ignorance of billion-dollar brands like Starbucks. One person (@sydneywhitfield535) could not wrap their mind around the scenario. “The real question is how do you accidentally do that, not notice, and still serve it?” Another TikTok user (@gabriella.uwu) reasoned, “It looks like one of the caps for the peach juice/strawberry puree, get your money back sis.” The comment received a response from the creator confirming she would take appropriate action. “As a barista, I don’t know how that would even happen,” someone else claiming to be a barista (@seaorawoods0) asked. 

According to Brittanica, Starbucks operates the largest coffeehouse chain in the world with over 35,000 stores across 80 countries. With issues like these coming to attention, the onus remains on the recognized brands to maintain the quality of their products and ensure the safety of consumers. Earlier, a man opened up about his dilemma with a blue plastic shard embedded in a Cadbury Dairy Milk Daim bar that he shared with his kid and wife. Several such cases have been reported by consumers worldwide thus requiring the need for urgent action to prevent plastic and microplastic infiltrating the food industry.

Plastic pollution, in general, is hazardous because of its non-biodegradable nature that enables the material to sustain almost everywhere, from the great depths of an ocean to the complex structures of human organs. It is also linked with health risks like cancer, liver failure, genetic changes, and poor reproductive health, per EarthDay. 

You can follow @beepunzel on TikTok for more updates.