No elephant excrement in Starbucks coffee, Dubai Municipality says

The statement was made in response to a newspaper editorial claiming that elephant droppings were present in certain coffee products used by the company in the Emirates.

DUBAI // Starbucks coffee does not contain elephant excrement, food safety chiefs have said.

They issued a reassurance in response to a newspaper editorial claiming that elephant droppings were present in some coffee products sold in the UAE.

The Food Safety Department at Dubai Municipality said that, after contacting the management of Starbucks Corporation in the UAE, it found that this type of coffee is served in a small number of luxury hotels around the world but is not imported to the UAE or sold here.

The company said it had never used this coffee at any of its branches in the Middle East and Africa. They also said it did not contain elephant stools, but rather digestive enzymes from the animal’s intestines that improve the taste of coffee.

Dubai Municipality urged the public to refer to authorities to check the authenticity of such rumours.