SMUCK DOWN

Food Giant Claims Trademark Violation Over America’s Most Basic Sandwich

Smuckers sued Trader Joe’s over the retailer’s crustless frozen PB&J sandwiches.

Smuckers has filed a lawsuit accusing Trader Joe’s of trademark violation over the design and packaging of its new frozen crustless peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Ohio, argues that the grocery giant’s sandwiches have the same crimp markings on their edges as Smuckers’ Uncrustables sandwiches, and that the Trader Joe’s box uses a blue font and shows a bite taken out of the sandwich, similar to the Uncrustables branding. The company is seeking restitution from Trader Joe’s and wants the company to hand over all of its frozen sandwiches to be destroyed. The Trader Joe’s sandwich appears to be more square than the Uncrustable, and while the word “Crustless” appears in blue, its front is a completely different style than the Uncrustable. In its filing, Smuckers said it had invested more than $1 billion developing its Uncrustables since acquiring the company that invented them in 1998.