Texas Pete Hot Sauce Sued After Customer Makes Shocking Discovery
A customer alleges that the company's brand is misleading.
Texas Pete is a popular hot sauce brand that, over the years, has expanded its products to include a wide range of other sauces (like sriracha, honey mustard, and salsa).
But now, one man from Los Angeles, California has filed a class action lawsuit against the brand for supposed false advertising after learning that the hot sauce isn't from Texas at all. Instead, it comes from North Carolina.
WGHP-TV first reported on the story, explaining that the man, Philip White, bought a $3 bottle of Texas Pete hot sauce in September of last year at a Ralph's grocery store.
According to court documents, "In making his purchase decision, White relied upon the language and images displayed on the front label of the Product, and at the time of purchase understood the Product to be a Texas product...Had White known the Product was not made in Texas, he would not have purchased the Product, or would have paid significantly less for it."
The suit further described the uniqueness of Texas food and flavoring before it suggested that the brand "trades on the reputation and fascination of Texas by giving consumers the impression that its Products are Texas-made, when the truth is, there is nothing 'Texas' about them."
In reality, Texas Pete was created by the Garner family in North Carolina, where the brand is still based, as stated on the about page of the Texas Pete website.
The company behind Texas Pete, Winston-Salem-based T.W. Garner Food Co., has until Nov. 10 to respond.
The company told WGHP-TV in a statement: "We are aware of the current lawsuit that has been filed against our company regarding the Texas Pete® brand name. We are currently investigating these assertions with our legal counsel to find the clearest and most effective way to respond.”
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