Smucker's Is Coming After A Small Sandwich Company With A Cease And Desist
Countless fans know and love Smucker's for producing and selling the Uncrustables that delighted us throughout our childhoods. However, in the world of business, the company beloved for its peanut butter and jelly sandwiches is renowned for putting its competitors in quite a jam.
As Mental Floss reports, the iconic PB&J brand has taken legal action against several businesses in the past. That includes Nestle, which Smucker's brought to court for using a package design that resembled the famous trademarked gingham pattern donning its products' lids. Now, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that Smucker's has ordered a cease and desist against another company.
However, this time it's not taking legal action against a food industry powerhouse, but a small brand called Gallant Tiger. Why? Well, Smucker's claims that the business's PB&J's packaging and shape are too similar to its iconic Uncrustables' look. That's right: Smucker's actually has a patent for the round shape of its famous snack. However, Gallant Tiger doesn't seem to agree with the PB&J icon's claims. Here's why.
Smucker's may take further legal action against Gallant Tiger
Food & Wine reports that Gallant Tiger first debuted in late 2022. Its owner, Kamal Mohamed, reported his goal was to make some high-end upgrades to the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The business's products feature crustless, round sandwiches with high-quality ingredients combinations, such as apple chili jelly and almond butter. But despite the brand only being months old, Smucker's was quick to catch wind of its saucer-like PB&J's.
It wasn't long before Smucker's issued a cease and desist letter that claimed Gallant Tiger's products use the same design as its patented Uncrustables. The company also wrote that, while it was not against other pre-made PB&J's being on the market, Gallant Tigers' PB&J's round look and the picture of a partially-eaten sandwich on its products' packages makes it likely that customers will confuse the snack for an Uncrustables product.
However, Gallant Tiger claims that because there are only so many shapes a sandwich can come in, it's not going to stop producing its round PB&Js. In fact, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that business owner Mohamed is not only ready to fight Smucker's but was "flattered" to see that the famous brand views his small PB&J venture as competition. That being said, if Smucker's and Gallant Tiger are unable to reach an agreement outside of court soon, PB&J fans may soon bear witness to a case that could change the course of pre-packaged sandwich history.