A mother on Vancouver Island is ringing the alarm for other parents and guardians after she says a pill was found inside a bakery treat from Starbucks.
Isabelle Piper said she went through a Starbucks drive-through on Thursday morning in Courtenay and decided to get her five-year-old son a cake pop treat. She said her son bit into it and said it tasted “funny.”
When she grabbed it away from him, she said she discovered a red and blue pill.
“When I went to give the cake pop to my other son, that is when I saw the pill,” she told Global News. “I immediately freaked out and pulled over.”
Piper said she wrote about the incident on Facebook to warn other parents in the area.
“A cake pop is an easy thing to (buy) for your child, and I would be devastated if it happened to someone else’s child,” she said.
The mother said she contacted Starbucks quickly and was told they removed all the cake pops off their shelves in both locations in Courtenay.
Comox Valley RCMP has confirmed an investigation is ongoing for the incident.
“I handed it over to the police and they will decipher what it is and I will leave it in the hands of the RCMP,” Piper said.
Piper said she has been in contact with Starbucks’ customer support as well.
“I have been in contact with customer care and the last email I got was (Saturday) morning,” she said. “They said they have contacted the manufacturer (of the cake pops) and that I should email them as well. (I am) confused as to what I should say to the manufacturer as this seems to be a Starbucks issue to me.”
The mom said it’s a good reminder for parents to be diligent when giving children food that is not made at home.
Starbucks said in an email it is aware of the incident and is working with the customer for an investigation.
“Delivering a safe and quality experience to our customers is our top priority and we will act with an abundance of caution whenever a potential concern is raised,” a Starbucks spokesperson said.