Steaz Tea Deceives With Added Sugars Labeling: Class Action Lawsuit

A class action lawsuit claims the maker of Steaz Tea profits unjustly by selling lines of drinks labeled as “lightly sweetened” but which in fact have high levels of added sugars.

“Contrary to this representation, Defendant’s Product is anything but ‘Lightly Sweetened’ and low in sugar. Instead, Defendant’s Product is high in sugar which directly contradicts the sugar content representation Defendant prominently makes on its label,” the plaintiffs said in the class action lawsuit. 

Plaintiffs explain how they’ve purchased Steaz Tea “several times over the last four years,” relying each time on the “lightly sweetened” labeling, believing it was low in added sugars and paying a premium for it. 

“Consumers willingly pay a premium for products such as the one at issue here and expect that the products’ advertising will conform to the ingredients and specific representations on the packaging,” according to the class action lawsuit. 

The premium is substantial, according to plaintiffs. The initial complaint references the comparative cost between 12-packs of Steaz Tea and its competitors. 

“A 12 pack of Steaz Tea costs as much as $25.99 whereas a 12 pack of green tea from a competing brand costs as little as $3.79,” the plaintiffs said. 

The plaintiffs further explain the motivating factors behind wanting a beverage with no added sugars. 

The class action lawsuit cites a 2014 Journal of the American Medical Association study finding “an association … between a high-sugar diet and a greater risk of dying from heart disease.”

The plaintiffs specifically point to a finding in that study showing “people who got 17% to 21% of their calories from added sugar had a 38% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared with those who consumed 8% of their calories as added sugar.”

Additionally, according to the class action lawsuit, “[s]everal studies have found a direct link between excess sugar consumption and obesity and cardiovascular problems worldwide.” 

Even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agrees that added sugars “lead to health problems such as weight gain and obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease,” the plaintiffs said. “When consumers purchase beverages, a material factor they consider is the sugar content.”

The class action lawsuit contends despite these “dangers of high sugar consumption and its impacts on diabetes and obesity” being “well known,” the makers of Steaz Teas deceive customers with their labeling. 

“Including the phrase ‘lightly sweetened’ on its Product is intended to appeal specifically to consumers that desire a healthy product that contains a minimal amount of sugar and induce them to purchase their product,” the plaintiffs said. 

In this case, the class action lawsuit claims Steaz “lightly sweetened” tea contains 30% of the daily value “for added sugars per Reference Amount Customarily Consumed” with 20 grams of added sugar per beverage. 

The plaintiffs say that’s “more than half of the added sugar the American Heart Association recommends for daily consumption for men and eighty percent of the recommended daily amount for women,” adding “the American Heart Association recommends that men consume 37.5 and women consume 25 grams of added sugar per day respectively.”

The class action lawsuit further alleges Steaz Tea isn’t in line with Food and Drug Administration guidelines on “light” and “lightly” sweetened classifications. 

While the FDA doesn’t regulate these matters, the plaintiffs said, they do detail “thresholds” on a “lightly label” as meaning the product has “from 5 to 7 percent of the [daily value] for the relevant nutrient.”

Evaluating “lightly sweetened” Steaz Tea by these standards would mean the drinks should actually be labeled as having “high” amounts of added sugars, the class action lawsuit claims. 

This continued labeling by Steaz Tea, according to the plaintiffs, prompted the Center for Science in the Public Interest to send a letter advising against the marketing practice. The class action lawsuit says the advocacy group told the company the labeling was “misleading.” 

Plaintiffs in this class action lawsuit have purchased Steaz Tea from retailers in New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Illinois, Oklahoma, California and Alaska but are seeking Class Members from the entire U.S., according to the complaint. 

Among the relief requested is Steaz Tea’s “disgorgement” and “return” of the money spent on the drinks. 

Have you purchased a Steaz Tea beverage labeled as having less added sugar? Let us know in the comments below. 

Counsel representing the plaintiffs in this class action lawsuit are Charles E. Schaffer, David C. Magagna Jr. of Levin, Sedran & Berman, LLP; Gary E. Mason, Gary M. Klinger of Mason Lietz & Klinger LLP; and Jeffrey S. Goldenberg of Goldenberg Schneider L.P.A. 

The Steaz Tea Added Sugars Class Action Lawsuit is Pierre Jr., et al. v. The Healthy Beverage Company, LLC, Case No. 2:20-cv-04934-GJP, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

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