Starbucks Ethical Sourcing & Decaf Chemicals Class Action (No Settlement Yet)

A class action lawsuit (Williams, et al. v. Starbucks Corporation, Case No. 2:26-cv-00112) was filed January 13, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. The complaint alleges Starbucks falsely markets its coffee as 'Committed to 100% Ethical Coffee Sourcing' despite documented labor and human-rights abuses—including child labor and slavery-like conditions—at farms certified under its C.A.F.E. Practices program. The lawsuit also alleges that independent testing of Starbucks Decaf House Blend detected undisclosed volatile organic compounds including methylene chloride (22 ppb), benzene (28 ppb), and toluene (87 ppb). The case is brought by Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP on behalf of Washington and New York consumers. This is a lawsuit, not a settlement; no claims process or payout information exists at this time. This listing may involve a proposed or pending settlement. Final approval, claim availability, eligibility, timing, and any payment depend on court approval, administrator instructions, and final settlement terms. Payout does not administer the settlement, determine eligibility, or guarantee payment.

• Purchased Starbucks-branded packaged coffee products in Washington or New York on or after January 1, 2016
• Class action filed January 13, 2026 in W.D. Wash. (Case No. 2:26-cv-00112); no claims administrator or payout details yet