Smucker's premade "Uncrustables" sandwiches

[Pea-n-Me]

I'm shuddering at how things like this play out on the witness stand. It ain't pretty.

 

[CarolAnn856]

That's what I get for trusting the Wikipedia page.

Link? None of the Wikipedia pages I saw said that.

 

[tvguy]

Link? None of the Wikipedia pages I saw said that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sealed_crustless_sandwich

Under "Commercial Sales". 2004 was when the plant was built. Apparently Uncrustables were locked up in a legal fight. Smuckers got a patent for how they are made.......eventually the patent office threw out the patent.

 

[sam_gordon]

Uncrustables went on sale in 2004. I left the job I got the press kit at in 2005, so that fits the timeline. Not saying it was the only one introduced then.

That's what I get for trusting the Wikipedia page.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sealed_crustless_sandwich

Under "Commercial Sales". 2004 was when the plant was built. Apparently Uncrustables were locked up in a legal fight. Smuckers got a patent for how they are made.......eventually the patent office threw out the patent.

But under "Patent Enforcement", it said Smuckers claimed patent infringement in 2001. And the wiki you linked says nothing about sales starting in 2004.

 

[tvguy]

But under "Patent Enforcement", it said Smuckers claimed patent infringement in 2001. And the wiki you linked says nothing about sales starting in 2004.

My link says the plant that makes uncrustables was built in 2004.

 

[sam_gordon]

My link says the plant that makes uncrustables was built in 2004.

But your post said they went on sale in 2004. You made an (incorrect) assumption that building the plant = going on sale. When called out, you blamed the wiki article.

 

[cabanafrau]

My great memory tells me that my daughters sampled Uncrustables at Kroger likely around 2001. Youngest daughter was pushing one of those mini kid carts that she very hopefully filled with stuff she was sure mom should have had on the grocery list. By the time she was four (2002) the kid cart really wasn't interesting to her anymore.

I have no idea if the sampling was tied to Uncrustables being a new product at the time or not. Strangely I do remember my kids sampling them and saying they "taste funny" and the youngest standing there with the kiddie cart. Maybe that's because sampling was a new thing for Kroger in our area at the time and it stands out in my memory. Up to that point sampling was pretty much limited to Costco, the deli counter at the butcher's and the bakery. I can pretty accurately target when she used the kiddie cart based on the age when I could reasonably rely on her not to run around with the cart and when I chaperoned her fours preschool trip to Kroger for Halloween cookie and cupcake decorating and the manager recognized my daughter, called her by name and asked how come she didn't come visit her at the service counter anymore to get a cart.

 

[Skellingtonj]

Wow. Just when you think you’ve seen it all... arguing over when these crappy pre-made sandwiches came out.

 

[soccerdad72]

Sigh - another really, really long document that states that the Uncrustable was patented originally in 1999 and was being sold as far back as 1996:

https://www.uakron.edu/dotAsset/60616342-1ca1-4a7b-8dc8-4a307efa37d8.pdf

From the paper (page 64):

As early as December 1996, the inventors, Smucker, or an affiliate began selling the UNCRUSTABLES-brand of crustless sealed sandwiches,26 which incorporated the PB&J technology covered by the ‘596 Patent

 

[cabanafrau]

Apparently criticizing what other people are discussing is somehow more worthwhile.

 

[tvguy]

But your post said they went on sale in 2004. You made an (incorrect) assumption that building the plant = going on sale. When called out, you blamed the wiki article.

Sorry, I though the issue was if they ever sold Grilled Cheese versions, and if they still sold Grilled cheese issues. UNLESS YOU ARE JUST STIRRING THE POT.

 

[Jennasis]

The argument...er, discussion... seems to be less about the subject and more about the participants.

I remember as a kid watching my parents engaged in some doozies, over the craziest of subjects (spoiler alert...Mom always "won"). I came to realize, as an adult, it really comes down to needing the opposing side to understand and admit they were wrong, rather than being happy that one was right.

 

[Skellingtonj]

The argument...er, discussion... seems to be less about the subject and more about the participants.

I remember as a kid watching my parents engaged in some doozies, over the craziest of subjects (spoiler alert...Mom always "won"). I came to realize, as an adult, it really comes down to needing the opposing side to understand and admit they were wrong, rather than being happy that one was right.

And a year from now, none of this will matter. I could not care less when the uncrustable was patented but i still find myself drawn to this thread..

 

[Skellingtonj]

This story is a cautionary tale for anyone interested in creating a food product that they intend to patent. The road is difficult, and the product could be called into review at any time. Many could argue that the Uncrustable has been just as successful without its patent, but the Smuckers Company is definitely disappointed that they no longer have exclusive rights to the idea. Be sure to seek advice and to have a complete understanding of the law when applying for any kind of recipe patent. It can be done, but there is a whole extra layer of challenge involved!


From Wordpress.com.

 

[sam_gordon]

And a year from now, none of this will matter. I could not care less when the uncrustable was patented but i still find myself drawn to this thread..

Along with 99% of the threads/posts on the CB.

 

[bcla]

This story is a cautionary tale for anyone interested in creating a food product that they intend to patent. The road is difficult, and the product could be called into review at any time. Many could argue that the Uncrustable has been just as successful without its patent, but the Smuckers Company is definitely disappointed that they no longer have exclusive rights to the idea. Be sure to seek advice and to have a complete understanding of the law when applying for any kind of recipe patent. It can be done, but there is a whole extra layer of challenge involved!


From Wordpress.com.

Having a fairly straightforward consumer food item is far different than in my industry. We've got products that are so complex that it's inevitable that some patent is infringed in a product as complicated as a computer chip. Many manufacturers deal with it by having broad cross-licensing agreements with their competitors so that they can actually sell their products rather than litigate. That doesn't mean anyone helps a competitor develop a product, but if they use a technology in a patent (or even a pending patent) they don't get sued over it. The worst are "non-practicing" patent holders who develop or sometimes just buy patent portfolios just to try and extract royalties and/or sue.

 

[CarolAnn856]

Sorry, I though the issue was if they ever sold Grilled Cheese versions, and if they still sold Grilled cheese issues. UNLESS YOU ARE JUST STIRRING THE POT.

Did you already forget that your innacurate statement that they started with the cheese veraion is what started all the back-and-forth:

When introduced all they had were the cheese ones. I guess they had added other kinds and discontinued the cheese one. My kids are 28 and 32 now, so been years since I bought them.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Ding ding ding.

 

[Floridaman999]

Ding ding ding.

Might have to hire a few at this rate.

 

[tvguy]

Did you already forget that your innacurate statement that they started with the cheese veraion is what started all the back-and-forth:

Not sure it was inaccurate. I don't know we have found any source that says what the flavors were at introduction. I just know that the sampled they sent to us in the media were the grilled cheese.