Why Starbucks’ Decaf Coffee Is At The Center Of A New Lawsuit

Over the years Starbucks has made many claims about the ethical sourcing and sustainability of its coffee and opened environmentally unique cafe locations in different parts of the world, but now a new lawsuit is calling some of those claims into question. The Seattle Times reported that a class-action lawsuit is being filed against the chain by the Seattle-based law firm, Hagens Berman, which alleges that Starbucks has violated its 100% commitment to ethically sourcing coffee by using beans from farms that have committed labor abuses and human rights violations.

In addition to accusations of labor and human rights violations on the coffee farms that Starbucks partners with, the lawsuit also alleges that testing has found toxic substances in its Decaf House Blend medium roast coffee. The substances supposedly include methylene chloride, benzene, and toluene. The lawsuit says the presence of these chemicals violates Starbuck’s labels of “100% Arabica coffee.” More importantly, each are considered volatile organic compounds and are unsafe for human consumption at the levels allegedly detected.