Starbucks is now the subject of two different lawsuits. One has to do with false advertising and another is over copyright infringement.
In the first lawsuit, filed at the end of October with the North Carolina Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Division by a North Carolina-based company, Puroast, which sells high-antioxidant coffee, Starbucks is charged with misleading customers as to the natural nature of its coffee and secretly adding ingredients.
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According to a report in the New York Post, Independent laboratory testing found 13% more potassium in Starbucks’ dark roast compared to its house blend as well as Dunkin’ Donuts’ and Lavazza’s dark roast varieties. So, as the lawsuit claims, Starbucks Dark French Roast Coffee “significantly exceeds” the normal level of potassium in coffee.
“These significant variances… can only be explained by the purposeful addition of potassium to the coffee during Starbucks’ production process,” said the plaintiffs in their suit.
The reason for adding to the natural coffee’s content is said to be related to its taste, making it less bitter. But extra potassium could cause health problems in some people.
Attorney David Puryear, who represents Puroast, told the New York Post, “Consumers who are buying it (the coffee) with the belief that there are no additives should be concerned.”
Meanwhile, Starbucks is also being sued over its Coffee-flavored lip balm.
Actress Samantha Lemole, the sister-in-law of Mehmet Oz (better known as Dr. Oz) maintains that Starbucks stole her idea for the lip balm after she had a meeting with the company about it and Starbucks never got back to her. Lemole was the manager of Balmuccino, a coffee-flavored lip balm company based in Los Angeles.
The lawsuit alleges that Starbucks reps questioned Balmuccino’s people about their ideas. In 2019, the company then launched a brand of its own that was allegedly based on these ideas.
For its part, Starbucks would only state, “We look forward to presenting our case in court.”
