Emily Sortor  |  November 22, 2019

Category: Beverages

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oregon chai tea latte vanillaA class action lawsuit claims that Oregon Chai Tea Latte contains less real vanilla than the label suggests.

Plaintiff Ryan Congrove claims that he purchased one or more of the Oregon Chai products for personal use in states including New York and California.

He says he made the purchasing decision at least in part because he believed the Oregon Chai Tea Latte to be flavored with real vanilla.

Allegedly, the products contain primarily imitation vanilla, which is less valuable than real vanilla.

The Oregon Chai class action lawsuit states that the company knowingly misrepresents the amount of vanilla in its vanilla chai tea products.

The company reportedly takes advantage of consumers’ assumptions to lead them to believe that the products contain primarily real vanilla.

Elaborating on this assertion, Cosgrove claims that the label reads “Chai Tea Latte Vanilla” and “Vanilla and honey combine with premium black tea and chai spices.” Allegedly, chai is often flavored with vanilla because vanilla “smooths” out the spice of the chai, and makes the drink sweeter.

The company reportedly implies on its labeling that the product is made with real vanilla, when it is actually made with primarily vanilla substitute. 

Cosgrove says that he was financially injured because he would not have purchased the chai tea had he known that it was flavored with imitation vanilla, or would not have paid as much for it as he did.

The plaintiff goes on to claim that he would consider purchasing Oregon Chai again in the future if he could know that the company’s representations of the product were no longer misleading.

According to the Oregon Chai false advertising class action lawsuit, vanilla is one of the most popular flavors in general.

In addition to its popularity, the Oregon Chai class action lawsuit notes that vanilla is one of the world’s most expensive flavors, and is at high risk for imitation because there are many vanilla substitutes that approximate the flavor of real vanilla.

The Oregon Chia vanilla class action lawsuit claims that the ingredient list does not list vanilla, but instead, lists “natural flavors” and not vanilla.

Allegedly, though vanilla is a natural flavor, it is conventional for the most specific form of an ingredient to be listed. Cosgrove says that had the natural flavors in question actually been vanilla, vanilla would have been listed.

The company reportedly uses this vague description to mislead customers into thinking that the chai tea is flavored with real vanilla.

The Oregon Chai class action lawsuit asserts that the company intentionally misleads customers because customers have a preference for genuine vanilla products over imitation ones.

According to Cosgrove, the company wants to capitalize on this preference to maximize its profits.

Have you purchased a vanilla-flavored product and later discovered it was made from imitation vanilla? Tell us more.

Cosgrove is represented by Spencer Sheehan of Sheehan & Associates PC and by Michael R. Reese of Reese LLP.

The Oregon Chai Tea Imitation Vanilla Class Action Lawsuit is Ryan Cosgrove v. Oregon Chai Inc., Case No. 1:19-cv-10686-KPF, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

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61 thoughts onOregon Chai Class Action Says Tea Lacks Real Vanilla

  1. Sarah Mcmanigal says:

    Please include me. I bought this for years trying to support local businesses but I refuse to support liar and have since stopped buying this beverage.

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