Starbucks Accused of Mislabeling 'Sugar-Free' Protein Drinks in Lawsuit — Update

By Elias Schisgall

A group of consumers is suing Starbucks, accusing the coffee chain of wrongly marketing its line of "Protein Beverages" as free of sugar.

The class action case filed by three consumers on behalf of a proposed class of Starbucks customers alleges that eight beverages whose names began with the words "sugar-free" in fact contained lactose, a naturally occurring sugar in milk. The suit was filed on Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.

The plaintiffs also alleged that Starbucks failed to include a disclaimer around the drinks' calorie contents as required by the Food and Drug Administration.

The drinks at the center of the lawsuit are the Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Latte, the Sugar-Free Caramel Protein Latte, the Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Matcha, and the Sugar-Free Caramel Protein Matcha, as well as each drinks' respective iced versions.

The plaintiffs alleged that the drinks contained between 13 grams and 21 grams of sugar per venti serving, based on their milk content. That's well above the maximum sugar content allowed for a "sugar-free" drink under the FDA's regulations.

"No reasonable consumer would understand a beverage named 'Sugar-Free' to contain 13 to 21 grams of sugar per serving," according to the lawsuit.

A Starbucks spokesperson said the company believes the lawsuit's claims are without merit.

"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 spokesperson said.

The plaintiffs are alleging that Starbucks has violated false advertising laws in New York, California, and Washington, where the company is headquartered. They are requesting damages and restitution.

Write to Elias Schisgall at elias.schisgall@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 05, 2026 15:02 ET (19:02 GMT)