As members of the general public, we often rely on the businesses that we frequent to be upfront about who they are and the services they provide. We rely on restaurants to adhere to certain cleanliness standards and place the burden of sourcing fresh, wholesome ingredients in their hands without thinking twice. At the grocery store, we negotiate with ourselves about which brands to buy based on perceived reputation and often go with what we assume aligns more with our personal values and needs.
In today’s ever-changing consumer landscape, though, the blind assumption that companies have our best interest at heart has only gotten blurrier and more murky by the day. Consumers and workers are demanding transparency and holding institutions accountable by whatever means necessary, including filing lawsuits. Just within the last few weeks, suits have been launched against Pepsi, Walmart, and McDonald’s, and now it appears that Starbucks has joined the list, too.
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According to a new class-action lawsuit filed on January 13 by Seattle-based law firm Hagens Berman, Starbucks is being sued for alleged human rights violations and for failing to disclose toxic ingredients in its coffee. The lawsuit claims that Starbucks falsely labels its products as “100% Ethically Sourced,” despite recent investigations that allegedly reveal the opposite.
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Starbucks Hit with Class-Action Lawsuit Citing Alleged Human Rights Violations
Findings by the Center for Research on Multinational Corporations alleged that Starbucks’ Coffee and Farmer Equity Program (C.A.F.E.) forced workers to operate in dangerous conditions without proper protective gear, and that they lived in “wretched housing” with mold, vermin infestations, and inadequate water and sewage. The suit also alleges evidence that independent testing of Starbucks’ decaf house blend medium roast detected volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including methylene chloride, benzene, and toluene.
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Alleged Toxins Found in Decaf Coffee
More simply, VOCs are gases emitted by many common liquids and solids, such as paints, cleaning supplies, and building materials, that can cause adverse health effects, including respiratory irritation, headaches, and nausea. According to the EPA's guidelines, the levels of VOCs allegedly found in Starbucks coffee exceed those considered safe, thereby putting consumers at risk. Starbucks maintains that its coffee meets or exceeds applicable safety standards.
In a statement regarding the lawsuit, a Starbucks representative said, “We take the allegations raised in the Williams and Strauss lawsuit seriously, but we firmly believe they are inaccurate. We maintain visibility into our supply chain, audit farms regularly, and take swift action when violations are reported—including terminating supplier relationships when necessary.”
So far, no major developments have been made in the case, but we’ll keep our eyes peeled as it unfolds.
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