Lakeville, Mass.-based Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc., maker of the top-selling U.S. brand of cranberry juice, was sued by Canada’s Amazin’ Raisins International Inc. over a process used to turn the tart cranberries into dried sweet treats.
Amazin’ Raisins owns a patent for a process of preparing dried fruit, and claims Ocean Spray uses that process for its “Craisins,” which are cranberries dried and sweetened to compete with raisins, or dried grapes.
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Ocean Spray, a cooperative of cranberry and citrus growers in the United States and Canada, sold about $45 million a year in dried cranberries to consumers last year, plus another $50 million for use in products such as Kraft Foods Inc.’s Post Cranberry Almond Crunch cereal, spokesman Christopher Phillips said. The cooperative said it will fight the lawsuit.
Amazin’ Raisins claims it has been trying since September 2003 to look at Ocean Spray’s treatment process to determine if there is a difference. Ocean Spray has refused to provide samples of its unprocessed cranberry pieces, according to the suit, filed July 22 in federal court in Minneapolis. Amazin’ Raisins wants cash compensation and a ruling that blocks sales of any infringing products.
Bloomberg News
