Smelly paper straws pulled from Starbucks

Starbucks coffee straws [STARBUCKS KOREA]

Starbucks Korea pulled some paper straws following complaints that they smelled like volatile chemicals.

Starbucks Korea said Wednesday that it yanked paper straws from one supplier on April 25 after receiving complaints.

“The smell of volatile chemicals was caused in the process of the supplier trying to improve the quality of paper straws,” said a spokesperson for Starbucks Korea.

The smelly straws came from one supplier out of three. The supplier changed the production method to resolve earlier complaints that the straws quickly grow soggy.

Starbucks Korea denied speculation that the smelly straws could be harmful to customers' health, saying all straws passed safety tests before being used.

The smelly straw complaints surfaced online late last month. Users described the smell of the straws as “disgusting” and said “the taste of the beverage changed after using the straws.” They compared the smell to gasoline.

Starbucks Korea adopted paper straw in 2018 to replace plastic straws and protect the environment. Korea is the only country where all Starbucks stores use paper straws.

BYJINMIN-JI[jin.minji@joongang.co.kr]