Dubai: Coffee giant Starbucks is not selling any coffee that contains residues of elephant dung in the local market, the Dubai Municipality said on Wednesday.
The Food Safety Department of the municipality said it was responding to rumours on social media following an article published by a Turkish newspaper about finding elephant dung in coffee products used by Starbucks.
“The department confirms through sophisticated regulatory procedures that this type of coffee is not imported to the UAE and it does not exist at all in our local markets,” it said in a statement posted on its social media pages and sent to the media.
“Additionally, we contacted Starbucks Management in the UAE to ascertain if the company uses this type of coffee. The company has confirmed that it has never used this kind of coffee at any of its branches in the Middle East and Africa,” the statement said.
The municipality said it should also be noted that the European Food Safety Authority did not publish any report or publication in this regard. “So we urge the public not to circulate this type of article and to refer to the authorities concerned to ensure the authenticity of the news.”
On the other hand, the department noted that another coffee product served in some luxury hotels in the world contains digestive enzymes from the stomach lining of the elephant, not its dung as alleged. The civic body was referring to Black Ivory Coffee which is reportedly made from undigested beans collected from elephant dung in Thailand’s Golden Triangle. Apparently, these enzymes break down the coffee’s protein, thereby reducing its bitterness.
