“It is so common that it is now cliché that coffee drinks depend on the caffeine contained therein to provide them with the energy they need to get through the day,” the lawsuit says. “Accordingly, the amount of caffeine in a coffee blend affects a consumers’ purchasing decision.”
A class-action lawsuit against Trader Joe’s accuses the company of misleading shoppers by selling a French Roast Low Acid coffee that contains less caffeine than it should.
According to CBS News, the lawsuit was filed earlier this week in a California court.
Attorneys for the four lead plaintiffs say that Trader Joe’s failed to disclose that the product, which is sold at stores across the country, contains less caffeine than comparable types of coffee. The lawsuit notes that it is common practice to indicate a product’s caffeine content only when “some process is used to reduce the amount of caffeine contained therein.”
“For example, fully caffeinated coffee does not have any special labeling denoting that it is fully caffeinated, but ‘decaf’ and ‘half-caff’ coffees are labelled as such,” the lawsuit says.
Court filings indicate that laboratory testing determined that Trader Joe’s French Roast Low Acid coffee contained half as much caffeine as a regular blend. However, the product was not labeled accordingly, potentially leading consumers to “purchase the product believing that it is fully caffeinated when it is not.”
“It is so common that it is now cliché that coffee drinks depend on the caffeine contained therein to provide them with the energy they need to get through the day,” the lawsuit says. “Accordingly, the amount of caffeine in a coffee blend affects a consumers’ purchasing decision.”
A half-coffee drink, the lawsuit argues, would not meet the needs of consumers who regularly drink fully-caffeinated beverages. If such a customer wanted a “half-caff” product, it adds, they’d probably pay less for it.
The lawsuit says that ordinary customers are currently “unable to discover the nature of Defendant’s misrepresentation as they cannot examine the coffee before purchasing it, and testing the caffeine levels in a coffee involves scientific knowledge and equipment that is beyond the capabilities of a normal consumer.”
The plaintiffs are seeking monetary damages and order halting Trader Joe’s allegedly “false and deceptive advertising,” which they say forms a pattern of “unlawful and unfair business practices that harm the public.” The lawsuit also asks the court to order that Trader Joe’s audit and reassess prior customer claims related to its French Roast Low Acid coffee.
The lawsuit is seeking class-action certification for eligible consumers in California, Illinois, and New York, the states where the product is primarily sold.
Sources
Brewing Trader Joe’s controversy: Customers allege they were misled about coffee’s low caffeine
Lawsuit brewing against Trader Joe’s over coffee’s caffeine label
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