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Due to its size and prominence, Starbucks is often the target of lawsuits. The latest one, filed in federal court on October 2, alleges that eight protein lattes and matchas labeled “sugar-free” on the coffee giant’s menus are anything but. As Dee-Ann Durbin reports for the Associated Press, the lawsuit claims the drinks actually contain 13-21 grams of sugar per “venti” serving.
The drinks are made with milk and thus contain lactose, a naturally occurring sugar. Because of this, the complaint claims that the company’s marketing of the products as “sugar-free” violates federal labeling regulations. According to the complaint, the FDA requires food or beverages labeled as “sugar-free” to contain less than 0.5 grams of sugar.
This isn’t the first lawsuit Starbucks has faced in recent years. The coffee giant has been sued, more than once, for false advertising over its pledge of “100% ethical coffee sourcing”, and has also faced lawsuits over its “discriminatory” hiring practices and opposition to unionization.
“Consumers avoid sugar for various reasons, whether that be general health, diabetes and blood glucose levels or other factors, and for many, a staunch mislabeling like this is significant,” Steve Berman of the Hagens Berman law firm told the AP. Durbin reports that Hagens Berman specializes in class action cases, and is in fact the same firm that most recently sued Starbucks over its ethical sourcing claims.
A Starbucks spokesperson told the AP that the company “believe[s] these claims have no merit” and intends to “vigorously defend ourselves in this matter.”
Read more on the latest Starbucks lawsuit here.
Photo courtesy of Seungmin Yoon on Unsplash.
