Translating into Русский. The English version is shown until it is ready.
Starbucks sued over “sugar-free” claims for protein drinks
Коротко
A federal lawsuit filed late Friday in Seattle alleges that eight Starbucks protein beverages sold in the U.S. contain varying amounts of sugar even though the company lists them as sugarless. The suit was filed by the class action firm Hagens Berman on behalf of three consumers in California, New York and Washington. Starbucks said the sugar comes from the protein-boosted milk it uses, that it adds no sugar, and that the claims have no merit.
Читать полностью 2 мин чтения
Starbucks is facing a consumer lawsuit over claims that protein drinks labeled “sugar-free” on its cafe menus may contain more sugar than a Reese’s peanut butter cup, according to the Associated Press and The Seattle Times. The federal lawsuit, filed late Friday in Seattle, alleges that eight protein beverages Starbucks sells in the U.S. contain varying amounts of sugar even though the company lists them as sugarless. [ 3 , 4 ]
Hagens Berman, a law firm that specializes in class action cases, filed the suit on behalf of three individual consumers who bought the drinks in California, New York and Washington. The plaintiffs contend that Starbucks’ naming and marketing of sugar-free products is “false, deceptive and unlawful” and that the company violated federal labeling regulations. [ 3 , 4 ]
“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,” said Steve Berman, a co-founder and managing partner of the Seattle-headquartered firm. [ 3 , 4 ]
On Monday, the menu on Starbucks’ U.S. website listed a 16-ounce Sugar-Free Caramel Protein Matcha with 16 grams of sugar and a 20-ounce version of the same drink with 21 grams of sugar, the reports said. By comparison, one Reese’s cup has 11 grams of sugar. [ 3 , 4 ]
Seattle-based Starbucks said the sugar in its protein drinks comes from the protein-boosted milk it uses. The company said it does not add sugar to the drinks and uses sugar-free syrup for flavoring, and that its website clearly stated the amount of sugar in each beverage and that they were made without added sugar even as the drinks were marketed as “sugar-free.” [ 3 , 4 ]
“We believe these claims have no merit,” a Starbucks spokesperson said Monday. “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…” [ 3 , 4 ]
Reuters also reported that Starbucks was being sued over the “sugar-free” claims for its protein beverages. No case number, hearing date or damages figure appears in the documents. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Почему это важно
The lawsuit targets how a large U.S. coffee chain labels and markets protein drinks sold nationwide, and it turns on the gap between a “sugar-free” menu label and the sugar content the company itself publishes. The documents give no indication of the case’s likely outcome; Starbucks has said it believes the claims have no merit.
Ключевые факты
- A consumer lawsuit alleges that eight Starbucks protein beverages sold in the U.S. contain varying amounts of sugar even though the company lists them as sugarless. [ 3 , 4 ]
- The federal lawsuit was filed late Friday in Seattle. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Starbucks’ U.S. website listed a 16-ounce Sugar-Free Caramel Protein Matcha with 16 grams of sugar and a 20-ounce version with 21 grams, compared with 11 grams in one Reese’s peanut butter cup. [ 3 , 4 ]
- The law firm Hagens Berman filed the suit on behalf of three consumers who bought the drinks in California, New York and Washington. [ 3 , 4 ]
- The plaintiffs contend the naming and marketing of the drinks is “false, deceptive and unlawful” and that Starbucks violated federal labeling regulations. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Starbucks said the sugar comes from the protein-boosted milk it uses, that it does not add sugar and that it uses sugar-free syrup for flavoring. [ 3 , 4 ]
- A Starbucks spokesperson said the company believes the claims have no merit. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Reuters reported that Starbucks was being sued over the “sugar-free” claims for its protein beverages. [ 1 , 2 ]
Подтверждено несколькими источниками
Пока неясно
- The case number, the court schedule and any amount of damages sought. No document states these details.
- The identity of the three plaintiffs who bought the drinks. The documents say only that they bought the drinks in California, New York and Washington.
- The outcome of the lawsuit and whether Starbucks will change how the drinks are labeled. Starbucks says the claims have no merit and no ruling or settlement is reported.
Что пишут местные СМИ
Хронология, местное время
- Reuters reports that Starbucks is being sued over “sugar-free” claims for its protein beverages. [ 1 ]
- Reuters publishes a Spanish-language report on the same lawsuit. [ 2 ]
- The Associated Press reports the lawsuit, including the sugar figures on Starbucks’ U.S. website and the company’s response. [ 3 ]
- The Seattle Times reports the lawsuit with the same details. [ 4 ]