Starbucks Pulled a Drink Powder After Baristas Said It Left Them Coughing

Keypoints:

• Starbucks discontinued its Blended Refreshers powder in US stores after 44 days on the menu
• Baristas reported coughing, headaches, sore throats, and hives after handling it
• Of more than 600 baristas surveyed by their union, 86% reported feeling sick or knowing a coworker who did
• An occupational physician found the powder's silica content could irritate airways when inhaled
• Starbucks says the removal was a routine seasonal menu change, not a safety response

Starbucks pulled its Blended Refreshers powder from US stores just 44 days after launching it on July 14, following weeks of complaints from baristas who said the fine powder turned into a visible dust cloud during preparation. Buffalo barista Jasmine Leli described it to Fortune as "very airborne... it's like a cloud," no matter how carefully it was handled. Destiny Valencia, a barista in San Jose, told reporters she took days to connect her headaches and fatigue to the powder, and afterward held her breath every time she made a drink with it.

The complaints weren't isolated incidents. Starbucks Workers United, which represents more than 12,000 baristas nationwide, surveyed over 600 members and found 86% reported feeling sick themselves or knowing a coworker who did after handling the powder. Symptoms ranged from headaches and sore throats to hives, sneezing, and in some reports, asthma-like reactions.

The powder's ingredients help explain why. It's formulated with gum arabic, maltodextrin, xanthan gum, and silica (silicon dioxide) to improve texture and prevent ingredients from separating. 

Dr. Peter Orris, an occupational medicine specialist at the University of Illinois commissioned by the union, found the silica content could irritate the respiratory tract when inhaled, particularly for people with asthma. He wrote in a letter to the union that Starbucks "should have evaluated it with respect to its impact on human health prior to introducing it," though he stopped short of flagging it as an immediate danger.

Starbucks maintains the powder was "safe for use in food and safe for use in our coffeehouses when used according to instructions," and attributes the removal to a routine seasonal menu transition rather than the complaints. 

The union sees it differently, crediting its own pressure campaign for the change while continuing to push for the powder's permanent removal, a dispute unfolding alongside broader, ongoing contract negotiations between Starbucks and its unionized workforce, one where workplace health and safety demands have become a recurring sticking point.