Trader Joe’s Faces Lawsuit Over Coffee’s Low Caffeine Levels—What to Know

Customers are suing the grocer over misleading advertising.

Facade of a Trader Joes store with the store name in bold letters on a brick building — Credit:
jetcityimage / Getty Images

Trouble seems to be brewing for Trader Joe's.

That's because some customers allege in a class-action lawsuit that the grocer deceptively advertised its French Roast Low Acid whole-bean coffee, leading them to believe it contained more caffeine than it actually does. The lawsuit was filed in California on Thursday, April 23, according to court documents obtained by NBC News, CBS News, and the New York Post.

According to CBS News, the claim states that it is common practice to indicate a coffee product's caffeine content only when "some process is used to reduce the amount of caffeine contained therein."

"For example, full caffeinated coffee does not have any special labeling denoting that it is fully caffeinated, but 'decaf' and 'half-caff' coffees are labelled as such," the suit states, according to CBS News.

Testing showed that the French Roast Low Acid coffee contained half the caffeine of a regular blend, but it was not labeled accordingly, the suit claims. They cite testing from Trader Joe’s competitors that shows the coffee only has 51 percent of the caffeine of Trader Joe’s Dark French Roast coffee and 45 percent of the caffeine of Trader Joe’s House Blend coffee.

The four plaintiffs from California, Illinois, and New York are accusing the grocer of failing to disclose that the product contained less caffeine than typical coffee products.

"It is so common that it is now cliché that coffee drinkers depend on the caffeine contained therein to provide them with the energy they need to get through the day. Accordingly, the amount of caffeine in a coffee blend affects a consumer's purchasing decision," the suit states, per CBS News.

The plaintiffs are seeking monetary damages and for Trader Joe's to stop selling the product through misleading marketing.