Starbucks American Menu

Awarded a 3 out of 5 green leaves rating, the Starbucks American Menu Strawberry Açaí Lemonade Starbucks Refreshers® Beverage occupies a middle ground in the quest for cleaner food options. This beverage combines ice, a strawberry açaí base, lemonade, and freeze-dried strawberries. The product is not organic and contains genetically modified ingredients, which results in a reduction of its green leaves score.

The strawberry açaí base includes water, sugar, white grape juice concentrate, citric acid, natural flavors, natural green coffee flavor, and rebaudioside-a, a stevia-derived sweetener. The lemonade component consists of water, lemon juice, sugar, and lemon oil. The presence of added sugars and citric acid, which is often used as a preservative and flavor enhancer, contributes to a decrease in the product’s rating. Moreover, the use of natural flavors, listed ambiguously, raises concerns due to their potential to harbor undisclosed additives, leading to further deductions.

The inclusion of freeze-dried strawberries adds a real fruit component to the beverage, yet this does not offset the deductions made for non-organic, GMO, and added sugar content. The product does not contain artificial colors, as the color comes from fruit and vegetable juice, which is a positive aspect for consumers seeking natural ingredients.

While the Starbucks American Menu Strawberry Açaí Lemonade Starbucks Refreshers® Beverage has room for improvement, it does provide a choice for those seeking a moderately cleaner option in the beverage market. Its middle-of-the-road rating reflects the balance between the use of real fruit and the presence of added sugars and ambiguous natural flavors. The green leaves rating system aims to guide consumers toward cleaner, more transparent food choices, and this product’s score indicates that it is neither among the cleanest options available nor among the most concerning.