Florida Food Products, LLC (“FFP”) announced that the United States Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”) has ruled in favor of the meat industry and FFP by invalidating an industry player’s attempt to patent how meat companies apply natural curing agents.
The PTAB found all claims of US Patent No.11,071,304 to be unpatentable, determined the patent should never have been issued, and declared the industry player’s temporary patent invalid. The ruling is consistent with the assessment by the European Union and Chinese patent offices, which denied similar attempted patents by this industry player. This marks multiple attempts by this industry player to patent components of applying natural curing agents in the United States. Additional information on the invalidation of the attempted patent can be found on government websites.
Jim Holdrieth, CEO of FFP, stated, “We are pleased with the PTAB’s decision and grateful for their diligent and thorough work to reach this conclusion. Today’s consumers are seeking natural, healthier products, and deserve access to the highest quality options from a range of suppliers. While we are proud of our industry’s innovation and excited by our product roadmap, the attempted patent relates to decades old know-how, which is simply not new.”
Holdrieth continued, “The PTAB’s ruling is a victory for the entire food industry and will ensure the highest standards are upheld by all industry participants for years to come. FFP will strive to be a steward of the industry, for the benefit of all stakeholders, and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our customers in protecting the industry from any inappropriate practices.”
