Starbucks Sues Farm For Nearly $5 Million Over Bad Ham

Here's a pro tip: If Starbucks contracts you to provide food for them, don't try to pass off an inferior product as the real thing. That's what one New Jersey farm tried to do, and now they're being sued by the coffee giant for a whopping $4.8 million.

Wellshire Farms (not to be confused with Hillshire Farm) was contracted by Starbucks to provide the chain with Black Forest ham for its breakfast and lunch sandwiches, but instead allegedly sold them ham from Maryland-based Hahn Bros. Inc. Customer complaints came rolling in (the meat was discolored, tasted funny, and appeared spoiled), and after investigating Starbucks discovered that the ham apparently came from Hahn and contained "potentially harmful bacteria," according to the lawsuit. Wellshire denies any wrongdoing, and apparently pleaded with Starbucks to keep the relationship.

Because Starbucks had to issue "Stop Sell and Discard" notices to all its locations, tell its contractors to stop using the product, and pay them "to minimize the financial impact of these actions," they claim that it cost them nearly $5 million to "[protect] its customers and Starbucks' reputation," so that's what they're suing Wellshire for.

Don't try to put anything past Starbucks: they'll figure it out!