Is coffee good for you? 03:26
Some Trader Joe’s coffee drinkers are angry that they’re not getting their caffeine fix, according to a new lawsuit filed against the retailer.
Trader Joe’s deceptively advertised its French Roast, low-acid whole bean coffee, leading them to believe the coffee contained more caffeine than it actually did, customers alleged in a class action lawsuit filed in California on Thursday.
Four plaintiffs who purchased Trader Joe’s coffee products, which are sold at the retailer’s stores across the country, claim the grocer failed to disclose that the products contained less caffeine than typical coffee products.
The plaintiffs allege that Trader Joe’s falsely advertised its coffee and failed to declare its low caffeine content. / Image source: Trader Joe’s
Plaintiffs’ attorneys claim that common practice is to label coffee products’ caffeine content only if “some process is used to reduce the caffeine content.”
“For example, 100% caffeinated coffee does not have any special label indicating that it contains entirely caffeine, but ‘decaffeinated’ and ‘half-caffeinated’ coffee does,” the lawsuit states.
While testing showed that French roast low-acid coffee had half the caffeine of regular blends, it was not labeled accordingly, causing consumers to “purchase the product believing that it was fully caffeinated when in fact it was not,” the lawsuit alleges.
Trader Joe’s did not immediately respond to CBS News’ request for comment on the lawsuit.
seek damages
The lawsuit alleges that consumers rely on caffeine to support their work and personal lives.
“It is a cliché that coffee drinkers rely on the caffeine contained in it to provide them with the energy they need throughout the day. Therefore, the amount of caffeine in a coffee blend can influence consumers’ purchasing decisions,” the lawsuit states.
It adds that decaffeinated drinks are not sufficient for regular coffee drinkers. If they did choose to buy the “half-coffee” product, they would pay less, the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit says the plaintiffs are seeking damages and for Trader Joe’s to stop selling the product through misleading marketing.
