The Unicorn Frappuccino, a viral sensation from the US in 2017, is arriving in UK Starbucks stores for one weekend only, from August 15 to 17, and has already sparked reactions on TikTok and social media. Parents, however, are expressing concern over the drink's sugar content.
A Sweet and Tart Blend Returns
According to Starbucks, the drink is 'the fan-favourite sweet and tart blend of creamy mango flavors, tangy blue drizzle, whipped cream, and pink and blue topping is back exactly as remembered', with 'a swirl of the cup' revealing 'colour-changing enchantment and a transformation of flavours'.
The company says its products are not targeted at children, but families say youngsters are inevitably drawn to characters like unicorns and will ask parents to buy the drink, priced from £5.60.
Parents Worry About Sugar Levels
The main concern is the amount of sugar. A 'grande' (medium, 16oz) contains 51.1g (almost 13 teaspoons) of sugar, while a 'venti' (20oz) has 60.7g (more than 15 teaspoons), which is double the recommended daily intake for ages 11 and above.
A new Unicorn Cake Pop, priced from £3.30, is an added lure. The vanilla cake pop is 'enrobed in white chocolate, with chocolate ears and a white chocolate unicorn horn. Dusted with colourful sprinkles, delicate black icing eyelashes and rosy pink icing cheeks'.
One parent told us: "There's no getting away from the fact that kids will want this drink and Starbucks knows full well that these products will appeal to children. My daughter loves Starbucks, most tweens her age do, and they all love unicorns, so it's a given they'll be asking for this."
Social Media Influence
Another woman, aged 28, said she is concerned about her younger sisters, aged 10 and 15, who are 'desperate for drinks they've seen on TikTok'. She said: "I saw the Unicorn Frap online and between the pink and purple pastels, the unicorn imagery and the sprinkles, I knew this was exactly the type of thing my young siblings were going to want to try. They're already obsessed with 'the pink drink' and anything they see go viral online, so I knew this was something I'd get begged to give them. I thought it might be a nice day out until I did a little research and saw the sugar content was double the amount of sugar an 11-year-old, and even an adult, can have in a day. I'm shocked and disgusted that they can put out a pink drink with a pastel unicorn, colourful sprinkles and not give any warning to the sheer amount of sugar in there. Especially when the whole campaign is full of imagery tailored to children."
A Starbucks spokesperson said: "Starbucks is fully compliant with HFSS regulations in the UK. We work hard to reduce sugar content across our product range where possible, including the development of sugar-free syrups and evolving our recipes to reduce the sugar content of our drinks and baked goods. The Unicorn Frappuccino is a limited-time offer, intended to be enjoyed as part of a balanced lifestyle. Customers can access all of our nutritional information online or via QR codes in store."
Recommended Sugar Limits
The government recommends that free sugars – sugars added to food or drinks, and sugars found naturally in honey, syrups, and unsweetened fruit and vegetable juices, smoothies and purées – should not make up more than 5% of the energy (calories) you get from food and drink each day. This means: adults should have no more than 30g of free sugars a day (roughly 7 sugar cubes); children aged 7 to 10 no more than 24g (6 cubes); children aged 4 to 6 no more than 19g (5 cubes); children aged 2 to 3 no more than 14g (3.5 cubes); and children aged 1 no more than 10g (2.5 cubes). There is no guideline limit for babies under 1, but sugars should not be added to their food or drinks.
