Starbucks Taken To Court Over Nutrition Labeling

Starbucks Taken To Court Over Nutrition Labeling

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Story Published: Jun 19, 2006 at 2:22 PM PDT

Story Updated: Aug 31, 2006 at 8:29 AM PDT

By KOMO 4 News & ABC News

NEW YORK - If you need your coffee fix every morning, you might want to sit down for this one: The consumer group that's suing KFC over its fatty foods is now after Starbucks.

Most of us don't know it but a single Frappuccino can pack 740-calories and more fat than a McDonald's Big Mac.

Surprised? That's why the group wants all nutrition information placed right on menu boards.

Starbucks has turned coffee into an art form and a gold mine. And many customers say they love their regular dose.

But the Center for Science in the Public Interest says Starbucks is a perfect example of why chain restaurants should be required to list nutrition information right on the menu or at the counter.

"They may have good coffee, but there is something there to criticize," said Michael Jacobson with CSPI.

For example, a medium size Starbucks double chocolate chip Frappuccino with the works is 590 calories. Add a 400-calorie cinnamon sugar cake donut, and you're taking in a combined 990 calories.

And if you go up a size on the Frappuccino, it's an extra 150 calories.

Plus the donut contains 6 grams of artery-clogging trans fat, when doctors now say you should try to eliminate trans fat from your diet if possible.

Starbucks and many other chains do list calories and fat on their Web sites and brochures. But CSPI says that's not good enough because customers don't check online before ordering. So it says information right on the menu is better.

"I highly doubt it would affect what I order," said a customer, "but a lot of people I'm sure nowadays with that diet craze they got going on I'm sure it will affect them."

Starbucks also offers choices like reduced fat products.

In a statement, the company told us it's committed to making information easily available. And about trans fat, Starbucks said, "we are in compliance with new labeling requirements for these fats and are actively seeking reformulation of products that currently contain trans fat."

By law, all packaged goods now have to be labeled with nutritional information. But the FDA does not have the authority to force restaurants to do the same thing.

So the group is trying to shame them into it by taking them to court.

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