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BOSTON (WBZNewsRadio) — A popular Boston-based pickle company is claiming a Whole Foods brand pickle company is using their secret recipes in their new line of pickles.
Grillo's Pickles filed a complaint against Patriot Pickle Inc. this week. Grillo's claimed the company violated its agreements by using confidential proprietary recipes to create a new line of pickles for Whole Foods's 365 label in stores across the United States.
"Patriot Pickle is trying to profit off of Grillo's 100-year-old family recipe and our trade secrets," Adam Kaufman, president of Grillo's Pickles, said in a statement. "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."
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The filing states that Patriot Pickle's had access to Grillo's proprietary recipes and equipment and used identical ingredients. It also claims that organic acid profile tests conducted are 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."
Grillo's Pickles also sued Wahlburgers in January, claiming they were misleading customers by saying the product had no preservatives.
WBZ NewsRadio has reached out to Patriot Pickle Inc. for comment.
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