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People who think they're drinking Kona coffee may be getting ripped off. Kona farmers have long suspected that competitors falsely label cheap commodity beans, flooding the market, depressing prices and damaging the distinctive coffee’s reputation. lat.ms/2In5SAD
It’s been difficult to suss out the counterfeit coffee. But the farmers say they now have a way: chemistry. Any beans can be laboratory tested for the telltale chemical signature of real Kona. Much of the coffee sold as Kona fails the test. lat.ms/2In5SAD 
The technique is at the heart of a lawsuit filed by farms accusing Amazon, Costco, Walmart and 18 other companies of selling bogus Kona. The Hawaiian growers hired scientists to test the chemical elements of competitors’ coffee to see if it’s legit. lat.ms/2In5SAD
Nike, Louis Vuitton and Columbia Sportswear strive constantly to crack down on knockoff shoes, bags and apparel. Fake food products tend to get less attention, in part because the producers of the real stuff often lack resources to pursue counterfeiters. lat.ms/2In5SAD
Kona coffee farmers seek to qualify their case as a class-action suit representing all the district’s growers. They filed in Seattle because Amazon and Costco are based in the area, where most or all of the defendants sell coffee. lat.ms/2In5SAD
