Caribou Coffee Aims to Nix Artificial Ingredients with Clean Beverage Platform

Caribou Coffee looks to use less artificial flavors throughout their menu with plans to convert all syrups to a clean label standard by the end of 2016.

While there's currently no set criteria for clean label, it's typically denoted by shorter, more recognizable lists of natural ingredients.

To kick off the initiative, the coffeehouse chain has introduced new real vanilla syrup, which is made with a simple four ingredients: cane sugar, water, natural vanilla flavor, and Madagascar vanilla beans extract (for comparison's sake, Starbucks' current vanilla syrup consists of the following: "Sugar, Water, Natural Flavors, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid").

To highlight the new syrup, Caribou is offering a Vanilla Latte, a Salted Vanilla Latte, and a Vanilla Creme Cappuccino through the end of February. A Vanilla Pear Muffin, made with vanilla and diced pears, and a Bacon Croissant Sandwich rounds out the limited-time selection.

Real caramel sauce will also introduced permanently in March followed by other clean label syrups. It will be featured in a Caramel High Rise, Caramel Budino, Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate, and a caramel toffee scone.