Texas Pete’s of North Carolina faces lawsuit from Los Angeles resident || Claims company misrepresents itself as the sauce is not made in Texas

File / Texas Pete Hot Sauce Facebook Page

Texas Pete Original Hot Sauce is now under fire after a Los Angeles resident, Phillip White, filed a civil lawsuit claiming that the product misrepresents itself because the company that makes the condiment, Garner Foods, is based in North Carolina and not Texas. 

White alleged that there is nothing Texan about the product, commenting that the bottle has Texan imagery which is misleading. In the lawsuit, he claims that he bought a bottle of the hot sauce in September 2021 thinking it was authentically from Texas. 

White argues that the location where the sauce is made is important. The lawsuit states, “the geographic origin of a product matters to consumers and a company is therefore prohibited from misrepresenting it”. 

The lawsuit further alleges, “By way of its false marketing and labeling, the Garner Foods knowingly and intentionally capitalizes on consumers’ desire to partake in the culture and authentic cuisine of one of the most prideful states in America.” and that they, “concocted this false marketing and labeling scheme specifically because it knows the state of Texas enjoys a certain mysticism and appeal in the consumer marketplace and is known for its quality cuisine, spicy food, and hot sauce in particular.”

The Texas Pete website explains where the name comes from, explaining that Sam Garner and his family were trying to come up with a name for the spicy sauce they created when a marketing advisor suggested “Mexican Joe”. Wanting to opt for an American name, Sam Garner suggested that they use Texas instead. He glanced at his son Harold who had a nickname, Pete. From then on, the sauce was known as Texas Pete. 

What do you think?