A Quebec Superior Court has allowed a class-action lawsuit to proceed against three major coffee chains in Canada over surcharges on plant-based milk alternatives. The case, brought forward by a Montreal resident who is vegan, centers around the additional $0.80 charged for substituting animal-based milk with plant-based alternatives in beverages like matcha lattes. The court ruling highlighted Starbucks' admission that the cost difference between cow’s milk and plant-based milk was only $0.12, yet customers were charged $0.80 for the switch, leading to a potential harm to consumers.

The class action covers Quebec consumers who paid a plant-based milk premium at Starbucks, Second Cup, and Tim Hortons during specific periods. Despite the chains dropping their surcharges before the lawsuit was authorized, the legal scrutiny extends beyond Canada, with similar class actions filed against Starbucks and Dunkin' in the United States. The plaintiff's lawyer emphasized that although individual charges may seem small, the aggregate amount collected could potentially be in the millions of dollars, highlighting the financial stakes involved in the case.