“Starbucks lawsuit alleges chemicals linked to paint removers found in coffee”, 25 March 2026

Starbucks is facing scrutiny following a class-action lawsuit claiming the coffee chain deceived customers regarding ethical sourcing and concealed chemicals present in certain decaffeinated coffee products, according to a complaint submitted in federal court.

The lawsuit claims that Starbucks engaged in misleading marketing by branding its coffee as "Committed to 100% Ethical Coffee Sourcing" while sourcing beans from farms with documented labor and human rights abuses.

The plaintiffs additionally claim that the Seattle-headquartered coffee company neglected to disclose the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particularly benzene, toluene, and methylene chloride in its decaffeinated coffee products. The lawsuit noted that these substances are typically linked with industrial solvents and are not normally found in food products.

The lawsuit was submitted in January by Jennifer Williams of Ferndale and David Strauss of Irvington, New York, representing consumers across the nation…

The complaint references investigations by labor inspectors, journalists, and nonprofit organizations that recorded unsafe conditions, wage theft, child labor, and forced labor at farms approved under Starbucks' C.A.F.E. Practices program.

The reports cover multiple years and nations, including Brazil, Guatemala, China, and Mexico…

Starbucks said in a statement to KIRO 7 News:

"We take the allegations raised in the Williams and Strauss lawsuit seriously, but we firmly believe they are inaccurate and misrepresent both our sourcing practices and the integrity of our Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices program."