Uncrustables maker accuses grocery chain of copying the shape and packaging of its popular peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
A dispute over a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich has made its way to federal court. A judge has ruled that J.M. Smucker can move forward with its lawsuit against Trader Joe’s over alleged trademark infringement involving its popular frozen Uncrustables sandwiches.
The lawsuit was filed in October 2025 in federal court in Ohio. Smucker claims that the crustless sandwiches sold by Trader Joe’s are too similar to Uncrustables, a product that has been on the U.S. market for decades.
The dispute goes beyond the filling
The issue is not the peanut butter and jelly combination itself. Smucker is primarily challenging the appearance of the product.
According to the company, Trader Joe’s sandwiches reproduce features associated with Uncrustables, including their shape, crimped edges and elements of the packaging. The lawsuit also points to similarities in the colors used on the boxes and photographs showing a sandwich with a bite taken out of one side.
Trader Joe’s disputes the allegations. The grocery chain argues that its sandwiches are not exactly round and describes their shape as a “squircle,” a combination of a square and a circle.
The company also argues that the crimped edges serve a practical purpose by keeping the filling inside the sandwich. For that reason, Trader Joe’s says Smucker should not be allowed to claim exclusive rights to that feature.
Judge allows lawsuit to move forward
In an August 28 ruling, U.S. District Judge John R. Adams rejected Trader Joe’s attempt to stop the lawsuit at this stage.
The judge found that Smucker had presented sufficient arguments for the case to proceed and highlighted the company’s investment in building and protecting the Uncrustables brand over roughly two decades.
According to court documents, Smucker says it has invested more than $1 billion in developing the brand and currently produces about 1.5 billion Uncrustables sandwiches each year.
The judge also rejected Trader Joe’s request to move the case from Ohio to California.
The ruling does not determine that Trader Joe’s copied Smucker or infringed its trademarks. The lawsuit can now move into additional stages, including the gathering of evidence.
Among the remedies it is seeking, Smucker wants financial compensation and is asking the court to require allegedly infringing products and packaging to be turned over for destruction.
Source: Associated Press and Reuters
