Big Peanut Butter has entered the legal arena, and it’s bringing receipts about crimped edges.
Why It Matters: The J.M. Smucker Co. is taking Trader Joe’s to federal court over frozen PB&J sandwiches, claiming the grocery chain’s crustless circles are copycats of its billion-dollar Uncrustables brand—proving that even in the freezer aisle, intellectual property battles can get heated.
What’s Happening: Smucker’s filed a lawsuit Monday in federal court in Ohio alleging that Trader Joe’s new frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches violate multiple trademarks, according to court documents. The Orrville, Ohio-based company takes particular issue with three design elements: the round, crustless shape with pie-like crimped edges; the blue packaging color; and the bite-mark imagery on the box.
The Crux: Smucker’s isn’t mad that Trader Joe’s is selling frozen sandwiches—it’s mad that they look like Smucker’s frozen sandwiches.
Between the Lines: This isn’t about protecting peanut butter innovation—it’s about protecting a brand that Smucker’s claims it cost more than $1 billion to develop over two decades, according to the lawsuit. The company acquired Uncrustables in 1998 from two Minnesota friends who invented them in 1996, then spent years perfecting stretchy bread and expanding flavors beyond grape jelly to include chocolate and hazelnut.
Catch Up Quick: Smucker secured patents for a “sealed, crustless sandwich” back in 1999, according to the lawsuit. The company has already flexed its legal muscles before—sending a cease and desist letter to Minnesota-based Gallant Tiger in 2022 over upscale crustless sandwiches with crimped edges.
What They’re Seeking: Smucker’s wants restitution from Trader Joe’s and a court order requiring the grocery chain to hand over all products and packaging for destruction, according to the lawsuit. .
The Consumer Confusion: Smucker’s claims the copycat confusion is already happening. The lawsuit includes a social media photo showing someone claiming Trader Joe’s contracted with Smucker’s to make the sandwiches as a private label product—which isn’t true.
What’s Next: These trademark tussles typically end in settlements rather than trials, because neither company wants the expense of prolonged litigation. Whether Trader Joe’s will pull its sandwiches, redesign them, or fight it out in court remains to be seen.
