Interfaith group asks Starbucks to drop vegan milk surcharge

BOSTON (AP) — A group of Christian, Hindu, Buddhist and Jewish leaders is asking Starbucks to stop charging extra for vegan milk alternatives. The interfaith coalition says the practice amounts to a tax on people who’ve embraced plant-based lifestyles. The group’s leader is Nevada-based Hindu activist Rajan Zed. He and the other clergy members pressed the coffee chain on Friday to end the surcharges they’re calling “unethical and unfair.” Starbucks says it doesn’t charge for a splash of nondairy milk, including soy milk, coconut milk, almond milk and oat milk, though it does levy a surcharge for customized beverages made largely with those substitutes.