What To Know About Starbucks' Allergen Info Before Ordering

With more than 35,000 locations worldwide, Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse chain on the planet. But, while menu items do differ from region to region, the brand hasn't done much to cater to different diets. In the case of allergens, Starbucks claims that it cannot guarantee against cross contamination because its stores use shared equipment to prepare and serve guests. So, while some of the prepackaged foods, pastries, and beverages might be labeled as nut, dairy, egg, or wheat-free in store and on the app, there's really no way of knowing what other allergens they may have come into contact with. 

While cross contamination might not be as much of an issue for Starbucks' vegan and vegetarian customers without allergies, it does pose a risk for those who abstain from certain allergens or ingredients for health reasons. These Starbucks customers are encouraged to use the online allergen guide to make the best choices for themselves or speak with a barista on duty before making their orders. Even though employees will certainly do their best to keep things separate while preparing the order, as mentioned before, there are no guarantees — so definitely take that into account. 

This might seem like more of a food issue than a beverage one, but it's not. There is more those flavored syrups than just sugar, and after Starbucks removed the labels from its milk pitchers, there is potential for dairy, nut, wheat, and soy cross contamination, too. 

The Starbucks food menu is broken into a few different categories: Bakery, breakfast, lunch, and impulse items. Most of the bakery, breakfast, and lunch items are already labeled with their associated allergen information both in store and on the app. As far as the pastry items go, most of their ingredients are baked in, making it impossible to avoid cross contamination. On the other hand, the lunch and breakfast sandwiches are customizable, but only to an extent. You're able to ask for certain things, such as eggs or cheese to be removed, but you can't substitute or add anything on them — nor can you avoid any cross contamination.

In general, when it comes to food, those with serious allergies are safest sticking to the pre-packaged, impulse items that are labeled as allergen free. As for drinks, you'll want to avoid anything that goes into another container or blender, because Starbucks doesn't separate them according to allergens. That means that all of the dairy containing syrups and the nut and dairy based milks are blended and frothed using the same tools. To be safe, stick with the simpler drink orders, and avoid anything that's blended or frothed for your best safety.

If you're really craving something , you can ask the barista to use a sanitized frothing pitcher or blender to prepare your drink. Again, always use the allergen guide to double check that any milks and syrups included are also allergen free first.