When you’re eating mozzarella sticks, you’re not normally questioning if the cheese inside is something other than mozzarella. Well, after reading this lawsuit, you cheddar be thinking differently.
Law & Crime reports TGI Fridays was sued for its mozzarella sticks after a person complained they didn’t contain a shred of the signature cheese.
Amy Joseph, of Illinois, filed the suit in 2021 against TGIF and its manufacturer, Inventure Foods, Inc. She claims she was misled because their Mozzarella Sticks Snacks contained none of the aforementioned cheese. Her argument is that people are willing to pay a premium for mozzarella because it is “more valuable” than cheddar.
A judge has dropped TGI Fridays from the lawsuit, saying they aren’t to blame because they just stamped their trademark on the product.
The same can’t be said for their manufacturer, though. Inventure Foods will face Joseph in court, with the judge who ruled in favor of a trial declaring, “A reasonable consumer could infer from the Product’s packaging a representation that the Product contains mozzarella cheese.”
It is unknown when the trial will be held. That said, if you have a hankering for fried mozzarella and your only options come from the frozen food aisle, be sure to read the list of ingredients before you buy.