Starbucks slims down the milk in its drinks

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Starbucks is slimming down its espresso-based coffee drinks in North America.

The No. 1 coffee retailer announced it will use 2 percent, rather than whole milk, in espresso-based coffee drinks in the United States and Canada by the end of 2007. The company is also considering making the switch in the other 39 markets it operates in, Starbucks (Charts, Fortune 500) said in a release Thursday.

The company said customers can still request whole milk, but if no request is made, consumers will receive 2 percent.

New York City, will be converted to the skinnier milk on June 5, along with four test markets, all of which reacted positively to the change.

The four test markets are Jacksonville, Fla., Orange County, Calif., the state of Oregon, and London, Ontario in Canada, the release said.