A lawsuit accuses Starbucks of mislabeling 8 'sugar-free' protein drinks
[October 06, 2026] By
DEE-ANN DURBIN
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 Starbucks' U.S. website listed a 16-ounce
(0.5-liter) Sugar-Free Caramel Protein Matcha with 16 grams of sugar and
a 20-ounce (0.6-liter) version of the same drink with 21 grams of sugar.
By comparison, one Reese’s cup has 11 grams of sugar.
Hagens Berman, a law firm that specializes in class action cases, filed
the suit on behalf of three individual consumers who bought Starbucks’
sugar-free protein drinks in California, New York and Washington.
“Consumers avoid sugar for various reasons, whether that be general
health, diabetes and blood glucose levels or other factors, and for
many, a staunch mislabeling like this is significant,” said Steve
Berman, a co-founder and managing partner of the Seattle-headquartered
firm.
The plaintiffs contend that Starbucks' naming and marketing of
sugar-free products is “false, deceptive and unlawful” and that the
company violated federal labeling regulations.
Seattle-based Starbucks said the sugar in its protein drinks comes from
the protein-boosted milk it uses. The company said it doesn’t add sugar
to the drinks and it uses sugar-free syrup for flavoring.
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 On Starbucks’ website Monday, the
drinks were marketed as “sugar-free,” but the company also clearly
stated the amount of sugar in each beverage and that they were made
without added sugar.
“We believe these claims have no merit,” a
Starbucks spokesperson said Monday. “Starbucks has consistently and
clearly provided information about its protein beverages, sugar-free
options, customization choices and nutritional content across
product announcements, menus, marketing materials, Starbucks.com and
the Starbucks app, and we intend to vigorously defend ourselves in
this matter.”
Starbucks introduced its protein drinks in September 2025 to meet
consumer demand for functional beverages and catch up to rivals like
Dutch Bros, which launched protein-enhanced coffee drinks in 2024.
Dutch Bros also offers a lower-sugar version of its caramel-flavored
Hopscotch Protein Latte, but it’s advertised as the Hopscotch Zero
Sugar Added Protein Latte. The 16-ounce (0.5-liter) iced version has
7 grams of sugar and 11 grams of protein. By comparison, a 16-ounce
(0.5-liter) iced Starbucks Sugar-Free Caramel Protein Latte has 9
grams of sugar and 29 grams of protein.
The lawsuit seeks damages on behalf of U.S. consumers who bought the
drinks. It also wants the court to order Starbucks to stop using the
label “sugar-free” on products that contain sugar.
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