BOSTON — Boston-based Grillo’s Pickles, Inc. has filed a complaint against Patriot Pickle, Inc. in the state of Florida, claiming it violated its agreements and is using Grillo’s proprietary recipes to produce a line of pickles for Whole Foods under the Whole Foods 365 label across the United States. The filing points to Patriot Pickle’s access to Grillo’s proprietary recipes and equipment, use of identical ingredients, and organic acid profile tests as proof of Patriot’s use and disclosure of Grillo’s trade secrets, in violation of the Defend Trade Secrets Act, the Florida Uniform Trade Secrets Act, and contracts between Grillo’s and Patriot.
In January, Grillo’s sued Patriot Pickle, Inc., Wahlburgers I, LLC and ARKK Food Company for misleading consumers and retailers by labeling and marketing Wahlburgers pickles as “fresh,” “all natural” and containing “no preservatives” when, to the contrary, Wahlburgers pickles contain an artificial chemical preservative.
“Patriot Pickle is trying to profit off of Grillo’s 100-year-old family recipe and our trade secrets,” said Adam Kaufman, President of Grillo’s Pickles. “It’s a massive violation of trust and a disappointment that after nearly a decade of partnership, our former co-packer, Patriot Pickle, has violated our agreements and is producing a nearly identical line of pickles for one of our biggest retailers, threatening to permanently damage our business.”
The alleged use of recipes stolen from Grillo’s to roll out a line of pickles nationwide at one of Grillo’s biggest retailers, at a lower price point, and during the highest grossing time of year for pickle sales, threatens to cripple Grillo’s business and customer base irreparably. As a result, Grillo’s is asking the court for emergency injunctive relief in addition to a permanent injunction and damages.
Customers choose Grillo’s because they know that when they purchase Grillo’s pickles, they are purchasing fresh pickles free from artificial preservatives. Grillo’s Pickles are made with simple, real, and garden-fresh ingredients and can be found in the refrigerated section of grocery stores nationwide.
For more information on Grillo’s Pickles, visit https://www.grillospickles.com.
About Grillo’s Pickles
For people who want freshness, Grillo’s is the pickle company that is changing the game. Grillo’s uses only clean, garden-fresh ingredients to make deliciously simple foods that deliver all the crunchy, tangy, satisfying flavor you’ve been searching for with none of the junk. How do we do it? Our products are made cold, shipped cold and sold cold. So, you get an incredible crunch, and we never have to mess with artificial preservatives. The only thing traditional about us is our 100-year-old family recipe. The rest? It’s fresh. Grillo’s offers mouthwatering bites nationwide for sweet, spicy, and sour flavor seekers, with a selection of chips, wholes, spears, and Pickle de Gallo.
