Three local farmers filed a case in Federal Court in Seattle as a class action litigation against Walmart, Amazon, Costco, Safeway and Kroger that sell 19 brands that are labelled as Kona Coffee but the Plaintiffs are arguing as fake.
The Plaintiffs had tests done the results of which showed that the 19 brands tested lacked the chemical elements in concentrations that should be in Kona coffee, suggesting that no Kona coffee or only “trace” amounts are in the products.
There are up to 1000 farmers in the Big Island that can benefit from a successful outcome of the lawsuit.
Other companies that were named are Cost Plus/World Market, Bed Bath & Beyond, Albertsons, Sprouts Farmers Market and the parent of T.J. Maxx and Marshalls. There were three Hawaii-based coffee producers named which are Hawaiian Isles Kona Coffee, Mulvadi Corp. and Maui Coffee Co.
This could be a historic lawsuit in the battle over Kona coffee.
I certainly wish the plaintiffs all the best of luck with this. Such shameless exploitation by giant corporations represents an example of the very worst in predatory capitalism, in which a name recognition legitimately earned by hard work and excellence is ripped off by fake products labeled in a deliberately deceptive fashion.
Such practices make me so angry I could spit.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit