Aldi accused by Oreo maker Mondelez of copying its packaging

Mondelez International, the company famous for producing Oreo, Wheat Thins, and other popular snacks, has filed a federal lawsuit against Aldi, accusing the supermarket chain of copying its packaging in an attempt to deceive customers. The lawsuit, filed in Illinois, alleges that Aldi has intentionally imitated the distinctive packaging of Mondelez’s brands to mislead consumers into purchasing Aldi’s store-brand products instead of the original Mondelez products.

According to Mondelez, Aldi’s products bear striking similarities to their own well-known snacks, such as Oreo, Chips Ahoy, Wheat Thins, Nilla Wafers cookies, and Nabisco Premium Saltine Crackers. The lawsuit points out that Aldi’s store-brand items have packaging design elements that closely resemble Mondelez products, including font styles, colors, image placement, and product names.

One example cited in the lawsuit is Aldi’s Peanut Butter Creme Filled Cookies, which come in a red box that closely resembles the packaging of Mondelez’s Nutter Butter cookies. The white script font and cookie image on Aldi’s packaging are said to mimic the Nutter Butter packaging, further confusing consumers.

Similarly, Aldi’s Thin Wheat product, which has a design similar to Nabisco’s Wheat Thins, features a yellow background, the word “original,” and images of crackers on the box, according to the lawsuit. These similarities in packaging design make it difficult for consumers to distinguish between Aldi’s store-brand products and Mondelez’s original snacks.

This is not the first time Aldi has faced legal action over its product packaging. Earlier this year, a U.K. appeals court ruled in favor of Thatchers, a cider company, in a lawsuit against Aldi over design similarities in the packaging of its lemon cider.

Mondelez International is a global food company with a presence in over 150 countries, while Aldi is a U.S.-based company with over 6,600 stores across more than 10 countries. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages and a court order to prevent Aldi from selling products that infringe on Mondelez’s trademarks.

Neither Aldi nor Mondelez has responded to requests for comment on the lawsuit. It remains to be seen how the legal battle between these two companies will unfold in the coming months.