Status: 26.09.2023, 06:09 a.m.
By: Helmi Krappitz
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Several million dollars due to missing ingredient in Starbucks drink? Customers see themselves deceived by the coffee house group – and ask it in court.
New York – It's a hot day and I'm terribly thirsty. What helps better than a cold lemonade? But then it turns out that the mango lemonade does not contain any mango at all. That's why the coffee house chain now has to face a lawsuit. It's a common way to replace ingredients with flavors. The company's statement has already been rejected.
Lawsuit against Starbucks: Five million dollars for missing mango in mango lemonade
The coffee house chain is known for fulfilling extra requests, but the standard ingredients seem to be over. Many consumers expect that the named fruits are also included in the beverages. This was the case, among other things, with the "Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade", in which the mango is missing, Reuters reported. The "Pineapple Passionfruit Lemonade" also contains no traces of the passion fruit. Starbucks would use water, grape juice concentrate and sugar instead of the fruit, according to the plaintiffs, Joan Kominis of Astoria in New York and Jason McAllister of Fairfield in California.
What it says on the label should also be in it, Starbucks customers think and sue the coffee house for five million dollars. (Symbolic photo) © Huebner/Imago
The names of the lemonade were misleading – and thus violate the consumer protection laws of their states. The two plaintiffs are demanding at least five million dollars in the trial. Lawyer Robert Abiri was pleased to represent the group of plaintiffs, it said.
Starbucks explains: Mango only describes flavor – judge disagrees
Starbucks, meanwhile, argued against the lawsuit. Product names would only describe the taste of the drink and not its ingredients. Rather, the flavor is advertised. If customers have any questions about the drinks, they could contact the staff. However, the Starbucks company's motion to dismiss the class action lawsuit has already failed.
Judge Cronan stated that "mango" and "passion fruit" are not terms that would normally be understood as a flavor without actually containing the fruit. It is different, for example, with the term "vanilla". In addition, the fact that other Starbucks drinks are also known for their ingredients could contribute to confusion. (hk)
