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Starbucks is facing a proposed class-action lawsuit accusing the coffee chain of misleading customers by marketing eight protein beverages as "sugar-free" despite the drinks containing significant amounts of sugar.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court on behalf of three customers in California, New York and Washington. The plaintiffs allege that the beverages contain between 13 and 21 grams of sugar in a venti serving, primarily from naturally occurring lactose in the milk used to prepare them.
The products named in the complaint include hot and iced versions of the Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Latte, Sugar-Free Caramel Protein Latte, Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Matcha and Sugar-Free Caramel Protein Matcha.
According to the complaint, a venti Sugar-Free Caramel Protein Matcha contains 21 grams of sugar, while the Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Matcha contains 20 grams.
The plaintiffs argue that using "sugar-free" in the product names is misleading even though Starbucks' nutritional information identifies the amount of sugar in each drink.
The lawsuit points to Food and Drug Administration rules governing "sugar-free" claims, arguing that qualifying products must contain less than 0.5 grams of sugar per labeled serving and customary amount consumed.
The plaintiffs also challenge Starbucks' use of the phrase "no added sugar," arguing that the description does not resolve the issue because the beverages still contain naturally occurring milk sugar.
"This case is about false and misleading product names. It is not about missing nutritional information," the complaint states.
Steve Berman, co-founder and managing partner of Hagens Berman, the law firm representing the plaintiffs, said, "Beverages with this much sugar are like drinking a candy bar."
"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," Berman added.
Starbucks disputes the allegations. "We believe these claims have no merit," a company spokesperson said. "Starbucks has consistently and clearly provided information about its protein beverages, sugar-free options, customization choices, and nutritional content across product announcements, menus, marketing materials, Starbucks.com and the Starbucks app, and we intend to vigorously defend ourselves in this matter."
The lawsuit also alleges that Starbucks failed to provide a calorie disclaimer that plaintiffs contend is required when making a "sugar-free" claim on products that do not qualify as low- or reduced-calorie items.
