Vegan milk charges ‘unfair’

A group of Christian, Hindu, Buddhist and Jewish leaders in the US is asking Starbucks stores there to stop charging extra for vegan milk alternatives, saying the practice amounts to a tax on people who have embraced plantbased lifestyles. An interfaith coalition led by Nevada-based Hindu activist Rajan Zed is pressing the coffee chain to end the surcharges, which it calls ‘‘unethical and unfair’’. Starbucks outlets in the US typically charge 50 cents to a dollar more for drinks made with plant-based milks.