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18 12

Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte is back, as is every processed pumpkin atrocity

Here comes the newly-seasoned SPAM Pumpkin Spice, Hormel’s latest foray into the autumnal food fold, available in September.

"Intending to combine “deliciousness with creativity,” Hormel added the spice combination otherwise associated with sweets such as apple pie and sweet potato pie to blended pig parts in hopes that the excitement and novelty will earn them a few dollars — but that is part of the problem.

Yum.

We have to start looking at these products as ploys to squeeze an extra few dollars out of their consumer base by any means necessary.

"And, for far too long, those “means” entailed pouring tons of salt, fat and sugar into as many jars, cans, paper cups and plastic wrappers as possible in hopes that consumers would eat more, eat it faster and then rush back to buy more.

And, if they can't rely on that alone, then they'll rely on things like nostalgia — for homemade pumpkin pie, or the idea of it, at least — or planned scarcity (only offering pumpkin spice lattes for a few weeks a year, so that people binge on them while they can) to get us to buy, buy, buy.

"All of that has, over time, been awful for our health."

I hate the taste of chemicals in processed foods. Processed foods are full of chemicals, sugar, fat and salt. Yuck.

That is why I cook from scratch at home.

[nbcnews.com]

#starbucks #apple #spam
LiterateHiker 9 Aug 27
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18 comments

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1

Level 8

As good a place as any for this, I guess

1of5 Level 8 Aug 30, 2019
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1

Level 9

Pumpkin spice tea,,have drank many cups from different suppliers and it is amazing at how different the ingredients are in each ones particular brand

1

Level 7

If there was a Satan, pumpkin spice is its spawn.

2

Level 8

it's that time of year!

2

Level 7

Apparently the primary issue with the potentially negative health effects of the pumpkin spice latte is actually about an ingredient in the caramel coloring, 4-Methylimidazole, which the FDA has approved as safe for consumption and as I can tell those who claim it's dangerous spout psuedo-scientific nonsense.
[fda.gov]

What's the problem with people buying seasonal products that are artificially scarce anyways? If people want to spend their hard-earned money to drink it, who are we to say what they can and can't put in their bodies if it isn't hurting the rest of us? No one is forced to buy these products, it is everyone's personal choice to or not.

If some entity existed that decided what people can and can't eat, what makes everyone assume that spam would not be the main diet of Americans? It was invaluable for military use, so if the government had anything to say about it why would they chose to distribute more expensive products, or make pumpkin spice lattes available year round?
[defensemedianetwork.com]

1

Level 8

You're kidding me.

It's August, right?

Why the hell are people thinking about pumpkin anything in August?

This is all of a piece with putting out Xmas ornaments in stores the week before Halloween and shit like that. And the way sports seasons now go year round.

I remember when the World Series was in October and football started in September. And hockey was a winter sport. I never paid much attention to basketball, honestly, but I'm pretty sure it didn't run 10 months of the year.

This is why I hate "progress".

1

Level 8

I like coffee, I have yet to walk into Starbucks and purchase anything especially coffee.

3

Level 9

Meh.
The sheeple are gonna do what the sheeple are gonna do.

Telling them it's unhealthy is wasted effort.
They don't care. They like it.

That's the crux of the problem there. They don't care. To busy trying to make enough money to keep up to care - life is hard, gimme my little daily pleasures, damn the consequences.

@1of5 But is it really a "problem"?
There are entirely too many people on this rock.
If they're willing to eat garbage that stands the very real potential for
killing them, I say have at it.
There are ways of killing oneself without straight-up killing oneself.

@KKGator yeah it's a problem, it doesn't kill them fast enough (its essentially Trumps diet, so go ahead and argue against that point 😉 ) and costs us a fortune in healthcare costs we should be spending on drugs and alcohol.

@1of5 Point taken.

1

Level 8

Don't you just love the way marketing works?

This is fucking hilarious: ...because we need the food manufacturers on whom we rely to provide us with products that take public health just as seriously as they do their profits. I mean, how adorably naive is that?

1of5 Level 8 Aug 27, 2019
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Ive seen pumpkin spice kale chips. For real. Though they were on clearance, and there was lots of unsold inventory,. But they tried.

@MarkiusMahamius never go into that store again. There is no justification for kale chips of any type.

@1of5 I had to get organic buttermilk for my mom

@MarkiusMahamius no wonder you drink so much.

@1of5 nothing can make buttermilk taste good. Ive tried

@MarkiusMahamius try making it into butter

@1of5 sadly it's the leftovers from butter. Because we use the whole thing, because we're "good people"

@MarkiusMahamius i was more thinking itd give you something to do
1

Level 7

I wonder how many of us have eaten actual pumpkin. Like, cut into slices, cleaned, and baked. Or cunked up on stew, also very good. With whatever seasonings (sweet or savory). I think I'll start a poll.

1

Level 7

I don't like pumpkin anything, even pie. A quick search of the Internet found no pumpkin spice edible underwear. The market is ripe for an entry there because nothing says Thanksgiving like pumpkin flavored underwear. 🙂

0

Level 9

I don't have a Starbuck's nearby. I don't drink flavored coffee and do not like pumpkin. So all is well over here in the orchards.

No Starbucks nearby? Eden really does exist

0

Level 8

In my opinion this is an important lesson on how 'mercan capitalism works and it's sole purpose.

@Bobby9 A rose by any other name is still a rose.
1

Level 8

Never had one, never will - pop consumer trash.

1

Level 7

I love pumpkins so much. Just seeing them makes me happy. But I don't want to eat them in any form 🤢

Remi Level 7 Aug 27, 2019
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0

Level 9

And.... the Hormel "product" isn't even Spam. The original recipe is good, tastes nothing like Hormel "spam".... and if you're not a vegetarian, an excellent source of protein.

@bigpawbullets

Yuck. Read the article.

"SPAM isn’t exactly a product known for its healthfulness. A single serving of the product is merely two ounces — which is one-third of the amount we’re encouraged to have each day by the U.S. Department of Agriculture —and it contains a quarter of the recommended daily allowance of sodium for the average healthy adult, not to mention the 30 percent of artery-clogging saturated fat a person should have in a day."

"That alone doesn’t seem too awful, but when you consider that the standard can of SPAM is allegedly intended to be divided into six servings, you realize that the average person is eating far more salt and saturated fat than they anticipated when they open that can. Let’s be honest — most people aren’t splitting that can into six pieces, and only choosing one."

@LiterateHiker
Yes. my post was meant as an agreement with you.
Hormel's product is not something I'd care to eat ever again. I've been fed the equivalent of Hormel's product "in the field" during my stint in the military.
My clarification about Spam, in it's original recipe was that it's a good way to preserve meat and while not as healthy as say, jerky, is still a good source of protein. I'll dig around and find the original recipe and post it in the "food glorious food" group.
1

Level 8

I'll take my organic pumpkin-spice yogurt, but that's about it (and maybe a pumpkin donut in a moment of weakness).

2

Level 10

Yeah heavily processed shame

bobwjr Level 10 Aug 27, 2019
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