Why Texas Pete Hot Sauce Is Being Sued For False Marketing

The Lone Star State's reputation for enjoying hot and spicy foods is partially due to its Tex-Mex cuisine, which originated from Tejano culture, per History. "Tejano" refers to people of Mexican descent who live in Texas. Their home cooking made its way into the mainstream by the 1880s when it was served to customers in city plazas. The cuisine's reputation grew from there, and today, it is one of the most iconic cuisines, with dishes like nachos, fajitas, enchiladas, and chili.

Texas Pete hot sauce was created by Sam Garner in 1929, according to its website. The Garner family had previously produced barbecue sauce and later started the T.W. Garner Food Company to produce jams, jellies, and of course, hot sauce. The company's hot sauce was reportedly so popular that the company actually released chilis, honey mustard, a seafood cocktail, and more to complement it. Despite its popularity, not every customer is satisfied. Texas Pete hot sauce is being sued for false marketing due to its name and bottle appearance.

According to Today, despite its name, Texas Pete is actually produced in North Carolina. Phillip White, a resident of Los Angeles, is suing the company and states that he was tricked into believing the hot sauce was produced in Texas due to the name and appearance of the bottle when he purchased it for around $3 from a grocery store in September 2021. The bottle's imagery features various Texan icons including a cowboy and the star from the state flag.

White states in his suit that had he known the product was not actually produced in Texas, he would not have been willing to pay as much for it or even purchase it all together. The suit alleges that the appearance and name of the hot sauce are misleading marketing and customers are being tricked into purchasing something inauthentic. Texas Pete hot sauce is owned by Garner Foods, which is based in North Carolina. According to the Texas Pete website, the name of the product actually came from a conversation among the Garner family, who were seeking to create a name that identified the spicy flavoring of the sauce.