Brewing Lawsuit: Trader Joe's Sold Weak Coffee

Trader Joe's is finding out the hard way that you don't mess with coffee drinkers looking for that morning jolt. As CBS News reports, a proposed class-action lawsuit filed in California says the grocer's French Roast Low Acid whole bean coffee packs about half the caffeine of a standard brew—without disclosing that crucial detail to shoppers. From the lawsuit, per NBC News:

• The lack of labeling means that "consumers purchase the Product believing that it is fully caffeinated when it is not. It is an industry standard that a coffee's caffeine levels are not highlighted on the product's label unless 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 (labeled) as such. Here, the Product does not disclose that it is 'decaf' and 'half-caff' coffee."

The four named plaintiffs argue that while it's normal for brands to flag "decaf" or "half-caff" on labels, fully caffeinated coffee typically gets no special marker, so consumers reasonably assume it delivers a typical jolt. By not disclosing that the Low Acid blend had significantly reduced caffeine, the suit says, Trader Joe's misled buyers who rely on coffee to power through work and daily life—and who might have opted for a cheaper "half-caff" if they'd been aware. The plaintiffs, who are from California, New York, and Illinois, are seeking damages and an order blocking what they call deceptive marketing. Trader Joe's did not respond to CBS' request for comment.