{
  "id": 12250936,
  "title": "Lawsuit accuses Starbucks of mislabeling 8 'sugar-free' protein drinks",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/lawsuit-accuses-starbucks-of-mislabeling-8-sugar-free-protein-drinks-12250936",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-05T23:17:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/world/20261006/lawsuit-accuses-starbucks-of-mislabeling-8-sugar-free-protein-drinks"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A consumer lawsuit has been filed against Starbucks alleging that its protein drinks labeled as \"sugar-free\" may contain more sugar than a Reese's peanut butter cup. The federal lawsuit, filed in Seattle, claims that eight protein beverages sold by Starbucks in the U.S. have varying sugar contents despite being marketed as sugarless. The menu on Starbucks' U.S. website indicates that a 16-ounce Sugar-Free Caramel Protein Matcha contains 16 grams of sugar, while a 20-ounce version has 21 grams of sugar. For comparison, a Reese's cup has 11 grams of sugar. The law firm Hagens Berman, which specializes in class action cases, is representing the suit on behalf of three individual consumers from California, New York, and Washington. Steve Berman, a co-founder and managing partner of Hagens Berman, stated that consumers avoid sugar for various reasons, including general health, diabetes, and blood glucose levels, and a mislabeling like this can be significant for many.",
  "summary": "Starbucks is facing a consumer lawsuit over claims that the protein drinks labeled “sugar-free” on its cafe menus may actually contain more sugar than a Reese’s peanut butter cup. The federal lawsuit filed late Friday in Seattle alleges that eight protein beverages Starbucks sells in the U.S. contain varying amounts of sugar even though the company lists them as sugarless. On Monday, the menu on…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Investing.com",
        "title": "Starbucks sued over ’sugar-free’ claims for protein beverages",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/starbucks-sued-over-sugar-free-claims-for-protein-beverages",
        "published": "2026-10-05T15:00:34.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Starbucks sued over 'sugar-free' claims for protein beverages",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/starbucks-sued-over-sugar-free-claims-for-protein-beverages-12210781",
        "published": "2026-10-05T19:17:03.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "A lawsuit accuses Starbucks of mislabeling 8 ‘sugar-free’ protein drinks",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/a-lawsuit-accuses-starbucks-of-mislabeling-8-sugar-free-protein-drinks",
        "published": "2026-10-05T20:52:30.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}