A shopper called out the ingredients in Torani Puremade Signature Vanilla coffee syrup and claims that there is nothing “pure” about them.
The TikToker Renew.Coffee (@renewcoffeecart) wrote in the caption that he hadn’t posted in a while, but, he adds, “I’ve reached the breaking point.”
“This is what really upsets me about the coffee syrup industry,” the TikToker says as he walks through the supermarket.
Holding a bottle of Torani Puremade Signature Vanilla coffee syrup, he first calls out the claim that the ingredients in the syrup are “pure.”
He swivels the bottle around to reveal the ingredients and asks, “Do you see vanilla? I see ‘natural flavors.’”
Sugar-free options aren’t any better
Then he walks over to the sugar-free options.
“$7.09 if you don’t have a [membership] card,” he notes about the price.
He then turns over a bottle of Torani Lavender coffee syrup to show its list of ingredients.
“First of all, Red 40, Blue No. 1,” he says, naming two synthetic food dyes.
The use of Red 40 was banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in January 2025. In April, it also announced a series of new measures that aimed to phase out the use of Blue No. 1 by the end of next year.
The TikToker then uses the opportunity to promote his own coffee syrup, which he sells through his mobile coffee business, Renew Coffee.
“We make a batch that size, 750 milliliters, for $1.77, and there’s no dyes, no nasty stuff,” he says.
Homemade vs. store-bought coffee syrup
The video garnered over 725,000 views, and several commenters expressed full agreement with his message. Many asked for a tutorial on how to make their own syrups, while some provided their own recipes.
“Brown sugar vanilla syrup=1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup water, splash of real vanilla or vanilla bean paste. Low heat stirring until dissolved. Let cool a bit and put in jar and put in fridge,” one person shared.
“Just put some honey and brown sugar into your espresso and shake in a mason jar with ice (add cinnamon if you have it), then add a bit of milk. i promise it tastes so much better than all the torani chemicals,” another wrote.
A few viewers did note that store-bought syrups would be more shelf-stable and last longer.
As one user helpfully pointed out, “The downside of homemade ones is they can’t sit out like these can. They grow mold if not refrigerated.”
Health-conscious living meets the demands of reality
Although many were excited about making coffee syrup at home, several commenters noted that most people just don’t have the time to make everything from scratch. The debate highlights a growing tension between health-conscious choices and the demands of everyday life.
“People pay for convenience and food dyes are not harmful unless you are specifically allergic which is extremely rare,” one person argued.
“I think you forget about how much time in itself is a luxury not everyone has. Yes I understand the process doesn’t take all that long but for a parent who’s juggling two jobs, children, general home upkeep, feeding children, that time is not a luxury everyone has,” a second said.
While more consumers have become wary of the ingredients in their food, the comments section proves that convenience is still a powerful deciding factor when it comes to grocery shopping. For now, the choice comes down to personal priorities, but that may change with time.
The Daily Dot reached out to Renew Coffee and Torani via email for further information.
@renewcoffeecart Haven’t posted in a while but I’ve reached the breaking point 😭 #lifeofamobilebarista #coffee #barista #smallbusiness #catering #coloradosprings #denver #coffeecart #coffeetok #fypシ #fyp #coffeemaking #coffeesyrups ♬ original sound – renew.coffee
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
