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Starbucks’ new range of olive oil-infused drinks is set to land on British shores later this year.
But coffee aficionados may be starting to think twice before sampling its latest blends as customers say they are sending them sprinting to the nearest loo.
The coffee shop franchise has so far debuted the Oleato range in its 20 Italian stores, with plans to offer the drinks in the US, UK, Japan, and the Middle East in the near future.
The idea for the new range came to Starbuck’s chief executive Howard Schultz while he was travelling in Sicily last year, where he adopted the Italian custom of taking a daily spoonful of olive oil.
He said he started adding it to his coffee and found it produced an “unexpected, velvety, buttery flavour that enhanced the coffee and lingers beautifully on the palate”.
Customer reviews have offered a less blissful account of the Oleato experience, however, with many sharing graphic renconstructions of the after effects.
“Half the team tried it yesterday and a few ended up… needing to use the restroom, if ya know what I mean,” one barista on the Starbucks Reddit page wrote.
A surge of criticism then arrived on Twitter, with one critic saying: “That oleato drink from starbs makin my stomach speak.”
A second user added: “IBD patient here. I wouldn’t touch these drinks with a ten-foot pole,” while another compared it to “making coffee using your digestive system as the coffee machine.”
Others offered more serious health warnings after trying the new range.
“I would caution everyone with gallbladder disease including those who have had theirs removed to avoid the oleato starbucks coffee as this can trigger existing gallstone attacks,” a third user posted.
In small doses, olive oil is beneficial to promoting a healthy diet, but may have laxative properties when consumed in large amounts.
Coffee also has a strong laxative effect, meaning the Oleato range has the potential to be a troublesome cocktail for customers’ bowels.
Announcing the new range in February, Mr Schultz appeared evangelical about the addition of olive oil-infused drinks to the Starbucks arsenal.
“Now, there’s going to be people who say, ‘Olive oil in coffee? But the proof is in the cup,” he said.
“In over 40 years, I can’t remember a moment in time where I’ve been more excited, more enthused that demonstrates the pride, the quality, the passion, the heritage and the craft of what Starbucks can do.”
The Independent has contacted Starbucks for comment.
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