A third legal action has been brought by NatureSweet®, the exclusive provider of greenhouse-grown veggies, against Mastronardi Produce LTD and Mastronardi Produce-USA, Inc. According to the lawsuit, Mastronardi is imitating NatureSweet’s authorized packaging and confusing customers. The No. 1 snacking tomato brand in North America, CHERUBS®, has NatureSweet fighting to protect its intellectual property. NatureSweet® will continue to defend its brand and recognizable packaging, which have helped decommoditize the snacking tomato sector in retail since its 2006 launch, driven by its objective to improve the lives of agricultural laborers in North America.
According to the lawsuit, Mastronardi made an effort to imitate NatureSweet’s packaging in 2021 and 2012. Mastronardi began utilizing alternative packaging as a result of earlier litigation brought by NatureSweet. Mastronardi is currently attempting to “borrow” equity that the NatureSweet CHERUBS® brand has built and fostered for more than ten years, as specified in the lawsuit. “We are surprised that others would need to resort to copying our known packaging to confuse consumers and draft on our investment,” said Michael Joergensen, Chief Marketing Officer of NatureSweet. “We invest millions of dollars in marketing in our brand which drove category growth.”
“This litigation aims to defend the integrity of the grape tomato category, which is currently the largest tomato segment, principally as a result of the caliber, investment, and general dedication of NatureSweet, together with the resounding backing of our retail partners. Customers have come to rely on CHERUBS®’ exceptional and dependable quality from NatureSweet. This trust might be destroyed by a negative product-buying experience if the customer is unsure which product is NatureSweet.
In its complaint, NatureSweet requests that the court order Mastronardi to stop using its new packaging for its grape tomato products. The business has spent a lot of money, time, and resources creating distinctive assets for the brand. President and Chief Operating Officer of NatureSweet Rodolfo Spielmann stated, “This is a matter of trust and integrity for NatureSweet, our workers, customers, and consumers.
Image provided by NatureSweet®
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