Starbucks Lawsuit Targets “Ethical Sourcing” Claims
By: Kate Litman Edited By: William Liu and Olivia Paik
Starbucks is facing a class-action lawsuit alleging the presence of volatile organic compounds in its coffee beans, in violation of consumer protection laws and human rights violations in the workforce.
On January 13, plaintiffs Jennifer Williams and David Strauss, represented by the law firm Hagens Berman, filed the suit with the Washington Federal Court, addressing Starbucks’ recurring mistreatment of employees and the use of harmful chemicals in their products. [1]
The plaintiffs raised three large concerns with Starbucks: ethical sourcing misrepresentation, chemicals in decaf products, and consumer deception. [2] The lawsuit, Williams et al. v. Starbucks Corporation, asserts that farms participating in Starbucks’ C.A.F.E. programs in regions such as Kenya, Guatemala, and Mexico have employed child labor, subjected workers to unacceptable living conditions, and required workers to perform dangerous tasks without protective gear. [3]
Starbucks’ C.A.F.E. program is meant to ensure that economic, social, and environmental criteria protect coffee farmers and workers.[4] Yet, according to Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton, Seattle Business Reporter, on coffee farms overseas, Starbucks has been linked to providing unsanitary bathrooms and extreme working conditions. Although Starbucks has released statements stating that the work conditions provided for all their employees are ethical, they continue to engage in labor law violations. [4]
Meanwhile, the company expresses its commitment to seeing employees thrive, despite their personal financial burdens. Starbucks prides itself on its dedication to prioritizing workers’ health and safety. [5] As stated in Starbucks mission statement, “We deliver performance through the lens of humanity.” [6] Nonetheless, workers have repeatedly suffered egregious labor abuses and degrading work conditions, a direct violation of local labor laws. [7] Unjust workplace atmospheres have alarmed both customers and employees and have been reported in the lawsuit. [7]
Starbucks’ deception extends to its sourcing, claiming it provides “100% ethically sourced coffee” through printing on all coffee product labels. In their medium-roast decaffeinated coffee beans, toxins such as methylene chloride benzene and toluene have been discovered. [8]
The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) used by Starbucks are widely used in industrial applications such as paint removers, paint strippers, and solvent products. [9] Hagens Berman’s independent labs ran tests on Starbucks’s house blend medium roast coffee and found that it contained certain VOCs that can cause health issues like headaches, nausea, and respiratory irritation. [8]
Tasharani Palani, journalist for Our Cancer Stories, said that methylene chloride is unsafe for consumption at any level; the U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency found increased cancer risk exposure from the toxin. According to the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), exposure to benzene has been linked to a higher risk of cancer, and exposure to toluene can lead to brain damage. [9] With the detection of VOCs in Starbucks’ decaf medium-roast house blend, an ethical question arises as to whether Starbucks is fulfilling its commitment to ethically source its products and uphold quality and safety standards.
This is not the first time Starbucks has been challenged with a sourcing issue; in 2018, Starbucks faced a familiar lawsuit in California due to failure to warn customers about potential cancer-causing chemicals in their coffee products. The byproduct of coffee bean roasting was acrylamide, which research found that the presence of acrylamide caused cancer when tested on laboratory animals. [10]
Plaintiffs Williams and Strauss are seeking to represent Washington and New York Customers who have purchased Starbucks products after January 1, 2026. They are demanding that Starbucks follow “immediate corrective action” to receive compliance with C.A.F.E. criteria.[11] As the lawsuit moves forward, its outcome could have significant implications not only for Starbucks but also for how companies market ethical sourcing claims to consumers. The case raises broader questions about corporate accountability, transparency in global supply chains, and whether businesses can be held responsible when their public promises conflict with alleged practices.
NOTES:
Top Class Actions. 2026. “Starbucks Class Action Alleges Coffee Not Ethically Sourced and Contains Industrial Solvents.”
Top Class Actions. January 21, 2026. https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/starbucks-class-action-alleges-coffee-not-ethically-sourced-and-contains-industrial-solvents/
“Starbucks Consumer Class Action | Hagens Berman.” 2026. Hbsslaw.com. January 13, 2026. https://www.hbsslaw.com/cases/starbucks-consumer-class-action
Business. 2026. “USA: Starbucks Faces Federal Class Action by Consumers over Allegedly Misleading Ethical Sourcing Claims - Business and Human Rights Centre.” Business and Human Rights Centre. 2026. https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/usa-starbucks-faces-federal-class-action-by-consumers-over-allegedly-misleading-ethical-sourcing-claims/
Boyanton, Megan Ulu-Lani. 2026. “Decaf with a Shot of Chemicals and Labor Issues? Starbucks Faces New Lawsuit.” The Seattle Times. January 15, 2026. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/starbucks/starbucks-sued-over-alleged-chemicals-in-decaf-coffee-farm-violations/
Starbucks Workers United. 2024. “Our Fight – Starbucks Workers United.” Sbworkersunited.org. 2024. https://sbworkersunited.org/our-fight/
Starbucks. 2025. “Our Mission.” About Starbucks. 2025. https://about.starbucks.com/mission/
Top Class Actions. 2026. “Starbucks Class Action Alleges Coffee Not Ethically Sourced and Contains Industrial Solvents.” Top Class Actions. January 21, 2026. https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/starbucks-class-action-alleges-coffee-not-ethically-sourced-and-contains-industrial-solvents/
“Starbucks Consumer Class Action | Hagens Berman.” 2026. Hbsslaw.com. January 13, 2026. https://www.hbsslaw.com/cases/starbucks-consumer-class-action
“Starbucks Cancer Lawsuit.” 2026. Our Cancer Stories. 2026. https://www.ourcancerstories.com/cancer-news/starbucks-lawsuit-cancer.
CBS News. 2018. “Coffee Cancer Warning: Starbucks, Other Coffee Makers Must Include Warning for Acrylamide, California Court Says.” Cbsnews.com. March 29, 2018. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/starbucks-cancer-warning-judge-rules-on-coffee-carcinogen-acrylamide/
Boyanton, Megan Ulu-Lani. 2026. “Decaf with a Shot of Chemicals and Labor Issues? Starbucks Faces New Lawsuit.” The Seattle Times. January 15, 2026. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/starbucks/starbucks-sued-over-alleged-chemicals-in-decaf-coffee-farm-violations/
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Boyanton, Megan Ulu-Lani. 2026. “Decaf with a Shot of Chemicals and Labor Issues? Starbucks Faces New Lawsuit.” The Seattle Times. January 15, 2026. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/starbucks/starbucks-sued-over-alleged-chemicals-in-decaf-coffee-farm-violations/.
Business. 2026. “USA: Starbucks Faces Federal Class Action by Consumers over Allegedly Misleading Ethical Sourcing Claims - Business and Human Rights Centre.” Business and Human Rights Centre. 2026. https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/usa-starbucks-faces-federal-class-action-by-consumers-over-allegedly-misleading-ethical-sourcing-claims/.
CBS News. 2018. “Coffee Cancer Warning: Starbucks, Other Coffee Makers Must Include Warning for Acrylamide, California Court Says.” Cbsnews.com. March 29, 2018. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/starbucks-cancer-warning-judge-rules-on-coffee-carcinogen-acrylamide/.
Starbucks. 2025. “Our Mission.” About Starbucks. 2025. https://about.starbucks.com/mission/.
“Starbucks Cancer Lawsuit.” 2026. Our Cancer Stories. 2026. https://www.ourcancerstories.com/cancer-news/starbucks-lawsuit-cancer.
“Starbucks Consumer Class Action | Hagens Berman.” 2026. Hbsslaw.com. January 13, 2026. https://www.hbsslaw.com/cases/starbucks-consumer-class-action.
Starbucks Workers United. 2024. “Our Fight – Starbucks Workers United.” Sbworkersunited.org. 2024. https://sbworkersunited.org/our-fight/.
Top Class Actions. 2026. “Starbucks Class Action Alleges Coffee Not Ethically Sourced and Contains Industrial Solvents.” Top Class Actions. January 21, 2026. https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/starbucks-class-action-alleges-coffee-not-ethically-sourced-and-contains-industrial-solvents/.