Starbucks Sued for Allegedly Mislabeling “Sugar-Free” Beverages, Violating Federal Regulations
SEATTLE – Starbucks is in the crosshairs of a new class-action lawsuit alleging it misled consumers when it sold beverages with “Sugar-Free” in their name despite containing “substantial amounts of sugar,” according to consumer rights attorneys at Hagens Berman, violating federal regulations and consumer protection laws.
Seven named consumers filed the lawsuit on Oct. 2, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, accusing the coffee conglomerate of capitalizing on eight mislabeled drinks in its trendy “Protein Beverages” line labeled as sugar-free that actually contain between 13 and 21 grams of sugar, according to the lawsuit. This amount is nearly as much as the American Heart Association recommends daily for women (25 grams).
“This is a case about false and misleading product names,” the lawsuit states. “…federal law prohibits their use on a beverage containing more than 0.5 grams of sugars per reference amount customarily consumed, and that state consumer protection law forbids selling these products under their false and misleading names.”
Allegedly affected drinks on Starbucks’ menu include the Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Latte, the Sugar-Free Caramel Protein Latte, the Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Matcha, the Sugar-Free Caramel Protein Matcha, the Iced Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Latte, the Iced Sugar-Free Caramel Protein Latte, the Iced Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Matcha and the Iced Sugar-Free Caramel Protein Matcha. If you purchased one or more of the affected “Sugar-Free” Starbucks products at any point, you may be affected. Find out more.
“Like Drinking a Candy Bar"
According to the lawsuit, the FDA imposed this specific labeling requirement because, as the regulation itself states, consumers regard “sugar free” to indicate “a product which is low in calories or significantly reduced in calories.” By using the term without the required legend, Starbucks conveyed to consumers not only that the so-called sugar-free drinks contain no sugar — which is allegedly false — but also that they are low in or reduced in calories, which is likewise false, attorneys state.
“Twenty-one grams is hardly ‘sugar-free,’” said Steve Berman, Hagens Berman co-founder and managing partner. “Consumers avoid sugar for various reasons whether that be general health, diabetes and blood glucose levels or other factors, and for many, a staunch mislabeling like this is significant.”
“Beverages with this much sugar are like drinking a candy bar,” Berman added. A standard package of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups contains 22 grams of total sugar.
The lawsuit also states that Starbucks attempted to capitalize on a “protein craze,” seeking to coverup its misleading use of “sugar-free” versus “no sugar added,” allegedly failing to account for sugar contributed by milk, in violation of federal regulations.
Meanwhile, Starbucks’ marketing materials promise consumers the ability “to make informed nutritional decisions, with transparency on ingredients, calories, and more,” a materially misleading statement, according to attorneys representing the consumers against Starbucks.
“Plaintiffs seek to hold Starbucks liable because falsely telling consumers that beverages that contain 13–21 grams of sugar are actually ‘Sugar-Free’ and failing to include required calorie disclaimers violates state laws against unfair trade practices, consumer fraud, false advertising, and other wrongful conduct,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit brings claims under various state consumer protection laws regarding unfair competition, trade practices, unjust enrichment, false advertising and deceptive business practices. The proposed class of consumers seeks repayment for those who purchased the affected products without accurate information, as well as court-mandated relief correcting Starbucks’ alleged mislabeling.
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About Hagens Berman
Hagens Berman is a global plaintiffs’ rights complex litigation law firm with a tenacious drive for achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. Since its founding in 1993, the firm’s determination has earned it numerous national accolades, awards and titles of “Most Feared Plaintiff’s Firm,” MVPs and Trailblazers of class-action law. More about the law firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.
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