Flavored Coffee Hurts the Environment?
By Audrey Nguyen
Recently, I've grown to like the taste of coffee, specifically flavored coffee that isn't too bitter yet not too sweet for my tastebuds! However, isn’t it quite suspicious how coffee can be “naturally flavored” to taste like hazelnuts and pumpkin spice? I mean they obviously use some natural ingredients, but the trademark scents of these types of coffee are way too strong to be created from only just natural spices. Turns out that the secret to this “natural flavor” is a chemical called propylene glycol.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much regulation on the use of the “natural” label on coffee and other food products. In fact, artificial emulsifiers and preservatives, including propylene glycerol, are classified as “incidental additives’ meaning that the manufacturer is not required to list these ingredients on food labels. Because the FDA has not fully defined what the term “natural” means, many companies have been able to get away with adding significant amounts of propylene glycol since naturally infusing flavor into coffee requires much effort and money. This misuse of the label consequently causes more people to buy these products, resulting in more and more propylene glycerol to be released into the environment.
So what exactly is propylene glycol? It’s basically a colorless, petroleum-based liquid that absorbs very well, which is why it’s easy to flavor coffee beans with this substance. Unfortunately, this high absorbency becomes an issue when we dispose our propylene glycol coated coffee remains. Most of the releases of propylene glycol are from the manufacturing plants and from the waste of the products that contain it. This chemical can mix completely with water, causing it to soak into the soil which allows it to enter into many organisms. Propylene glycol can be harmful to us and other animals because it makes our bloodstreams more vulnerable to chemicals since propylene glycol increases our skin’s capacity to absorb. Considering that we encounter numerous harmful chemicals every day, we must be cautious of the indirect consequences of consuming propylene glycol even though this chemical may not be causing problems directly.
Although the natural label is misused, we can help prevent propylene glycol from entering our environment. Instead of buying coffee with added flavors, we can try to buy raw coffee beans that are actually naturally flavored. For example, if you’re into fruit-flavored coffee, you can buy Ethiopian coffee beans since they have a distinctive berry tang. If you’re more into chocolate-flavored coffee, then try a Brazilian coffee blend, known for its subtle cocoa taste. So let’s do the environment a favor: ditch the propylene glycol flavor!
Questions: If you drink coffee, would you consider switching to all-natural coffee? How should the use of propylene glycerol in coffee and other food products be reduced? What are some ways we could spread the message about the harmful effects of additives like propylene glycol on the environment?
Sources:
https://drinks.seriouseats.com/2013/02/the-dark-side-of-flavored-coffee-how-flavored-coffee-is-made.html
https://www.ewg.org/foodscores/content/natural-vs-artificial-flavors/
https://www.honeycolony.com/article/propylene-glycol/
https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/phs/phs.asp?id=1120&tid=240
27 comments:
Honestly, I never thought about how flavored coffee beans get their flavor. I always assumed that the coffee was just brewed with additional spices. Personally, I do enjoy flavored coffee, however, I prefer to get that flavoring through flavored creamers rather than flavored coffee beans. For this reason, I think switching to all-natural coffee would be an easy thing for me. I do think that it is important that people know of the effects that consuming propylene glycol could have on themselves and the environment. If people still choose to consume chemically flavored coffee after that, I think it's their choice. However, they should also have the option of consuming naturally flavored coffee.
I’m not really much of a coffee drinker. If I am ever in the mood for coffee, I will drink it with a lot of creamers and sugar. To be honest, I don’t even think I will be able to distinguish if the coffee beans were flavored or not, so flavoring the coffee would not affect me at all and switching would not be a problem. After reading this blog, I am now aware of how damaging flavored coffee beans could be to the environment, so I am all for promoting natural beans and demoting flavored ones. One way that we could promote natural coffee beans and explain to the public about the downsides of flavored ones is by teaming up with chains that sell coffee such as Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts. We can ask them to have a little add on their door that could catch the audience eye and explain to them the downsides of flavored coffee beans.
As an avid coffee drinker, I had no idea about additives like propylene glycol in flavored coffee. I tend to drink seemingly natural flavors like Brazilian and Columbian roasts, but after reading this article I will be definitely sure to be more aware of only purchasing those! I feel as though the FDA must be more meticulous about false advertising like using “natural” labeling. Most consumers think they know what it means, when it really has no true meaning. It is greatly important to be honest to consumers so that they can truly know what they are purchasing as most likely would decline to purchase coffees that contained ingredients like propylene glycol. I believe that growing the public’s awareness of this issue could spark movements against this additive if it truly is a possible danger.
Honestly, I didn’t know much about how coffee beans get their flavor before I read this post. I don’t usually drink coffee, so the issue has never really seemed relevant to me, however, many of my friends drink coffee and could benefit from learning more about this. I think propylene glycerol should have tighter government regulations in terms of its density in food items. I totally agree that the “natural” label placed on foods is overused and often misleading, and the way that the term is used should be redesigned to have more strict standards. Many people don’t know about the use of propylene glycerol in flavored coffee beans, so I think something as small as a news article could make people aware of the issue.
I am not a coffee drinker, and have never really liked the taste of it. So I am happy to learn that I have not contributed in this sense. However I do drink "natural" flavored water mixes in the morning sometimes. I wonder if the same chemical is present in these supposedly natural drink mixes and I just don't know about it. One way to bring more awareness to this issue is to petition the FDA to require companies to indicate the use of propylene glycol. If they are required to disclose this chemical, consumers can make the choice whether or not to consume it. Another thing would be to petition the FDA to create a more restrictive label out of the word natural. This way companies can't abuse the word and mislead consumers about the way their product was produced. Many people these days are more conscious of what they are purchasing and seek out labels like natural. They should actually mean something under the law.
I am a very frequent coffee drinker but I had never considered the effects that my obsession could have on the environment. In addition to using more raw and unflavored coffee beans, I think there should be restrictions and regulation on the title of ‘natural’ in packaging and advertising. I would definitely consider switching over to a truly natural coffee regimen, but I can see the increased cost restricting many from doing the same, and wish that more eco-friendly coffee could be more widely accessible. I would be interested in seeing how flavored creamers/syrups impact the environment as well, since these are often used in substitution for or in addition to these favored coffee beans.
I never realized the negative impacts of flavored coffee on the environment. I am not much of a coffee drinker, but I have had it from time to time. Since, I don’t drink coffee that often, I don’t think it would be too hard for me to switch to all-natural coffee, when compared to those who drink coffee on a regular basis. I think that the use of propylene glycerol can be reduced by increasing the regulation of the “natural” label. For example, this blog mentions that the FDA hasn’t completely defined what makes foods natural. They could establish that only foods that do not harm the environment during the manufacturing process or upon disposal can be labeled as natural. We can spread the message about the harmful effects of these additives having public service announcements during commercial breaks that inform viewers about these effects. This may cause more people to be willing to switch to all-natural coffee for the benefit of their own health as well as the environment.
Since I detest the taste of coffee, the affects coffee can have on myself and the environment have never crossed my mind. However, this topic is fairly interesting and important because I know several avid coffee consumers. Unfortunately, it would be extremely difficult to educate large populations of coffee drinkers to stimulate significant change. However, a more practical way of dealing with the situation would be to advocate for legislation action against the chemical responsible for the negative environmental affects. It would still be a tedious process, but the chances of altering the lifestyles of people without directly interfering with them is significantly higher.
This is a thought that has never crossed my mind before, while I occasionally like to drink an iced coffee now and then, I have never been a heavy coffee drinker. For me, when my mom makes coffee at home we usually used artificial simply because it is faster and less time consuming to make, but honestly, switching to natural coffee would probably be better as it would be more beneficial to the environment and provide more boost than watered down coffee. While the debate over “natural” food has been going on for a while, I think it would be very hard for the FDA to enforce rules regulating on them because there are simply so many food products and loopholes that can be found to slip out from their rules and for corporations to continue to distribute products they have been selling for years to continue to profit.
I have never really given this topic much thought before because I don't drink coffee that often. Once in a while, I drink instant coffee from home or get a heavily flavored drink, but I have never realized the harmful impact we put on the environment for the sake of flavor and preferences. I think going all-natural with the coffee if a great solution, but that lies more in the hands of coffee addicts who depend on their specific flavor and blend of coffee. It will be a challenge for them to let go of years of habits but with the right enforcements and laws in place, it is possible for change to occur. However, FDA oversees many regulations which causes many people to overlook the labels and warnings on food items. Right now, being in the age of technology, I believe that social media is the best asset in gaining awareness for alternative, more natural coffee along with persuasive ads on websites and bulletin boards within many big coffee franchises. Through this, I think that switching to natural coffee can be achieved.
As a coffee lover, it has never occured to me that coffee can have negative effects not only on ourselves but also on our environment. I will now start to use all-natural coffee as it is a good decision to make the switch to help our environment. I think we should regulate the amount of propylene glycerol in other food products along with coffee. There should be a legal limit to the amount which can help lessen the use. I think it's important for people to understand the effects that propylene glycol can have and therefore spreading the word or making labels on products will be useful.
I am a self-proclaimed caffeine fiend, but it has never occurred to me that a staple of my morning routine could contain non-natural ingredients. After checking, I found out that mine is all-natural, but I have used blends containing propylene glycerol in the past. I think that the use of harmful chemicals should be legally restricted, as they could harm unaware consumers. This post inspired me to think more critically about what I put into my body.
I do not really drink coffee, but I never knew that this popular drink can cause so many problems within the environment. Now that I know about this problem, I will try to be more conscious if and whenever I am purchasing or making my own coffee. To limit propylene glycerol use, the FDA could better define the term "all-natural", which leads to customers attracted to natural products steering clear of products that use propylene glycerol. Furthermore, the government could place restrictions and regulations upon the use of propylene glycerol. To spread awareness of this issue, companies that do not use propylene glycerol could make commercials that explain what propylene glycerol is, and why it is not good for the environment. I am glad that I read this blog post because I learned something new that could potentially hurt me and the environment.
I can’t stand the taste of coffee unless it’s been loaded down with at least 4 packets of sugar and enough cream to match my pale skin tone. That said, if I ever really needed caffeine and tea wasn’t present, I’d always reach towards the coffee with enough flavors in it so that it didn’t really taste like coffee anymore. I never really thought about how harmful the flavorings in it could be, regardless of whether they had “natural” stamped on them or not. I have, however, heard snippets of how harmful chemical flavorings are managed through the FDA as “natural” before, but I always imagined them in fast foods or TV dinners, not something as simple as bitter bean juice. Even though such chemicals are in minute traces, the FDA needs to include them on the packaging, and thier possible side effects. I mean, even to me it looks fishy when the ingredients listed on our Brown Sugar Crumble coffee contain only “coffee, artificial and natural chemicals” to make something that tastes like it came out of a donut shop. If we encourage companies to label products accurately, there’s a chance that they would stop using the more harmful products rather than announce they were using them, which would be even better.
I don't really like coffee in the first place, so I never really thought about the artificial flavorings. The fact that there are harmful chemicals in coffee, of all things, should make us take a step back and re-evaluate. Are companies really that desperate to make a profit that they are willing to risk their consumers lives by putting harmful, but tasty, chemicals in their product? It's a lot to think about. There needs to be stricter rules on what companies for their ingredients. There should be a warning label on each package if the product contains harmful chemicals, and if companies don't want to do that, then they can just stop adding the compounds to their products,
I’m going to say it: I hate coffee. I just don’t see the appeal and would much rather stick to my lemonade. That being said, it’s interesting to read about how the flavor is created, even if artificial. I’m sure that propylene glycerol is in my fruity flavored lemonades as well or at least something else I eat. It’s kind of scary that I don’t even know what I’m putting into my body because the FDA doesn’t think it’s important to list it in the ingredients. The FDA should increase regulations on the “natural” label so that there is more awareness of these “incidental additives.” We could spread the message through advertisements on social media. Even better, if an organization that advocated for less use of the additive partnered with a popular coffee brand, it would advertise the issue to consumers. Until something more substantial is done, I swear to do my part in protecting the environment by never drinking any coffee, just to be safe.
I will definitely be referencing the information in the article up you created in order to justify drinking straight up bitter dark coffee. I think action should definitely be taken to modify the labels both by the companies themselves and through legislation. Also, like you said, more consumers should make an effort to avoid these products and chemicals. I think if there's a demand for more sustainable flavored coffee more companies may develop flavored coffee that uses natural ingredients that aren't harmful.
I don’t really like coffee that tastes like coffee, so I would be entirely okay with ditching coffee completely. However, I think it is crazy that so many people drink these coffees without even knowing what is in them. I believe if everyone knew the environmental effects on the environment of propylene glycerol they would try to consume less “natural-tasting” coffee. If there are other options, many people would choose to go with those, such as the Brazilian coffee blend. To promote the use of true natural tastes, companies can make ads that show what is really in coffee and explain the negative effects of this chemical. I also think the FDA needs to be stricter on their requirements for “natural” in order to stop chemical pollution of the environment.
I don't really drink coffee so it would be a non-issue for me if flavored coffee would go away. It would be much better for the consumer if they had a better idea of what goes in their coffee. The FDA should definitely regulate this process in order to prevent companies from manipulating labels. This would help the consumer choose products that align with their values while also helping the environment out.
I am actually a Starbucks barista, and I had no idea that propylene glycerol was in our flavored coffee. While I do know that a lot of our ingredients aren’t 100% natural, it has never really bothered me before. I don’t think we can justify sacrificing the environment for coffee, no matter how good we think coffee is. I think that the FDA should regulate the use of propylene glycerol, and minimize it as much as possible. I think that large corporations, like Starbucks, should focus on eliminating propylene glycerol form their products, and I think that we as consumers should stop buying products that contain propylene glycerol. I think there’s much better ways to produce flavorful coffee, and the environment should absolutely be our number one priority.
I don’t really drink coffee, but if I did, I feel like I would not want to give up artificial coffee for all natural coffee, especially if I drank coffee for the taste of it. Drinking all natural coffee would certainly taste different than drinking artificial coffee, so many people might not want to make the switch to natural coffee, even though the natural coffee may be better for the environment. Hopefully, in the future there may be natural coffee that tastes just like the artificial coffee so that more people would make the switch and benefit the environment.
I do not enjoy the taste of coffee anyway, however, I do enjoy the taste of tea. This article makes me curious to know whether propylene glycerol is present in packaged and manufactured tea (from brands such as Starbucks), and makes me more aware of this. The FDA and research agencies must research into this substance to assure consumers of its safety. Furthermore, the presence of this substance must be clearly labelled in packing. After watching Dark Waters, I understand how pollution can enter an environment and contaminate every living organism. This makes me concerned on the presence of propylene glycerol in living organisms. Already water systems have been polluted with various unnatural substances, that accumulate in the organisms. Bio accumulation also occurs in humans, hurting every organism that it contacts.
Personally, I do not drink coffee, but a lot of people do, so this is definitely an issue that should be addressed. I think that there should be more regulation on what companies can put into their coffee, or they should be forced to state exactly what they are using. I'm sure fewer people would buy coffee if they knew it had a petroleum-based additive in it. The biggest problem is that most regulations are very vague, so companies can find loopholes around them to still use harmful chemicals in our food.
Although I do not drink coffee very often, I was quite surprised to learn that flavored coffee is made with such chemicals. Because coffee is usually labelled as having natural flavors, I have always assumed that natural spices were used. Now, if the coffee was cotton candy flavored or some other weird synthetic flavor, I would have understood the use of chemicals. I usually drink chai and not coffee. In India I have visited many chai farms, witnessing for myself the process involved in making a single cup. Even in chai, a very traditional and old drink, many pesticides are sprayed onto the leaves to ensure freshness. In fact, chai farmers usually have their own separate plot of chai leaves that they don't spray meant for their families to enjoy. I have read articles explaining how companies slap the "natural" and "organic" label onto their products because there are no legal repercussions behind the label. Consumers have to blindly place their faith into these products that claim to be natural. I think consumers should demand the FDA to inspect these products and chemicals further as it is their responsibility to the people to ensure that the food we eat is to nourish rather than harm us.
I enjoy drinking coffee. I especially enjoy flavored coffee. However, after reading this blog post, I think I will switch to more natural flavors of coffee rather than flavored coffee. What concerns me is the fact that natural does not mean anything, and companies can label anything “natural”. From now on I think I will stick to natural coffee beans. It was interesting that Brazilian coffee has a chocolate-like taste to it.
I actually just started drinking coffee a few days ago and it’s been nice. After reading this, I think I should prioritize all-natural coffee. There should be more laws and restrictions on the usage of propylene glycerol in order to reduce its emissions into the environment. While it would cost more, companies such as Starbucks should use natural ingredients to create a specific flavor, such as using Brazilian coffee beans for a chocolate flavor and Ethiopian coffee beans for a fruit flavor. While cost to buy coffee would go up, it’ll save the environment and organisms.
With so many people drinking coffee, this topic would be very appealing to them if only they knew about it. I’ve started to drink coffee these past few months and it’s really worked wonders for me. I’ve always wanted caffeine but I always stuck to energy drinks; though, it was expensive and seemed a bit unnatural. Now I drink coffee from the coffee bean and it works like a jiffy and normalized too. With that said, coffee is so convenient to everyone, the subject of “natural flavors” would really ring up a lot of questions to what we really drink in our Starbucks coffee. This can be used to create ad campaigns for coffees that do not contain propylene glycerol, such as Brazilian coffee; in fact, you could start a company with that idea!
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