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People take legal action against coffee brands all the time, a common topic of this newsletter. Some are sued over forced labor allegations; others have been accused of publishing misleading recycling claims. One of the funnier ones we’ve talked about in the newsletter is two companies battling over who can lay claim to the concept of death itself in their branding.
Trader Joe’s is the target of the latest coffee lawsuit. The claim? The grocery chain’s low-acid coffee contained less caffeine than it should.
According to NBC News’ Gary Grumbach, four customers from across the U.S. filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that Trader Joe’s French Roast Low Acid coffee is marketed as fully caffeinated despite tests showing it is closer to half-caf. (An 8 oz cup of brewed coffee contains around 95mg of caffeine, according to the USDA.)
“Consumers purchase the product believing that it is fully caffeinated when it is not,” the lawsuit reads, according to USA Today. “This is a material misrepresentation … The amount of caffeine in a coffee blend affects a consumer’s purchasing decision.”
The lawsuit cites results from an independent test measuring the caffeine content of Trader Joe’s coffee, conducted as part of a separate 2025 lawsuit brought by Florida-based low-acid coffee brand Puroast Coffee Company. The testing found that Trader Joe’s low-acid coffees contained 51% as much caffeine as the retailer’s Dark French Roast and 45% as much as its House Blend.
The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages, attorney’s fees, and for Trader Joe’s to audit and correct its marketing materials and recall the product in question. Trader Joe’s did not respond to NBC News or USA Today’s requests for comment.
Read the full story on the latest coffee lawsuit from NBC News here.
