Why is Smucker's suing Trader Joe's over Uncrustables? Charges and complete drama explained

The J.M. Smucker Company, best known for its popular Uncrustables sandwiches, has filed a lawsuit against Trader Joe’s, accusing the grocery chain of infringing on its trademarks with its own line of crustless peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Smucker's filed the complaint on October 13 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.

Smucker's is suing Trader Joe's for copying Uncrustables.

Smucker's historically has been extremely protective of the Uncrustables circular shape. pic.twitter.com/DxUo01tMaR

— The Food Manufacturing Guy (@TipOfTheBanana) October 14, 2025

Filed on October 13 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, the complaint alleges that Trader Joe’s sandwiches closely imitate the distinctive design and packaging of Uncrustables.

Smucker's argues that the Trader Joe's product is a clear imitation breaching its registered trademarks.

The alleged violations include similarities in the shape of the product, the style of packaging, and how it's presented in marketing.

The lawsuit claims Smucker's believes Trader Joe's crustless sandwiches look too much like Uncrustables. They have the same "round pie-like shape" and "undulated crimping" on the edges.

Smucker's also takes issue with Trader Joe's packaging. It shows a sandwich with a bite taken out - an image Smucker's says it's used on Uncrustables since 2000. The company thinks these similarities confuse customers.

To back this up, they point to social media posts. On TikTok and Instagram, some users seemed to mix up Trader Joe's product with Uncrustables.

Smucker's reports it has put more than $1 billion into marketing, product development, and brand awareness for Uncrustables. These sandwiches have been available since the late 1990s.

The company points out that Uncrustables now leads sales in the frozen handheld sandwich category across the U.S. In its statement to NBC News, Smucker's explained,

“As a responsible trademark owner, we actively monitor the marketplace and enforce our federally registered trademarks to protect the distinctive Uncrustables sandwich design and round shape. Our focus is solely on protecting the unique trademarked design that represents the high quality associated with the Uncrustables brand and preventing consumer confusion caused by imitation.”

In the lawsuit, Smucker's wants money damages, though it doesn't say how much. It also asks the court to stop Trader Joe's from selling the sandwiches it claims copy their design.

The company wants all related items and ads to be destroyed.

Through the lawsuit, Smucker’s seeks unspecified monetary damages and a court order prohibiting Trader Joe’s from continuing to sell the allegedly infringing sandwiches.  

In 2022, they sent a letter to Gallant Tiger, a small company in Minnesota, telling them to stop making round sandwiches without crusts that had different jam flavors.

Smucker’s alleged that the design and packaging of Gallant Tiger’s products also violated its trademarks.

The new lawsuit comes as competition in the prepackaged sandwich market continues to grow, with several brands introducing high-protein or alternative versions of crustless sandwiches.

Smucker’s recently joined this trend with its own high-protein Uncrustables, launched in select stores in October.