Weight loss giant reportedly thinks packaging of Aldi’s new line of diet meals is too similar to their own
Slimming World could take legal action against Aldi after the cut-price supermarket released its own brand of diet meals.
The ready meals, released nationwide last week, are called SlimFree.
Its packaging looks almost identical to the weight loss giant’s own brand and slimmers have been questioning whether they can be eaten freely on the Slimming World food plan.
Followers of the plan can eat as much staple foods such as meat, fish, fruit, vegetables and pasta as they need to fill them up and only have to count ‘Syns’ for higher fat/calorie things such as dressings, sweets and crisps.
Slimming World, which is know to fiercely protect its own trademark, released its own selection of ‘syn free’ ready meals a few years ago.
And it took on supermarket Asda when it followed suit with its Slimzone range forcing that supermarket to initially remove its range from the shelves, although they later returned with amended packaging.
Now members at groups across the country have now been told Slimming World is taking action against Aldi over its new range as it believes it is breaching its trademark.
One member of a Hartlepool group said they were told the company had issued a statement which read: “As you know Aldi have recently launched a range of new frozen ready meals under the brand name SlimFree, and we’re aware that members have been asking about them, in particular whether or not they are Free on our Food Optimising eating plan.
“We believe that the meals infringe Slimming World’s trademarks and because of that we are entering into legal action against Aldi. As a result, we’re sorry to let you know that we won’t be adding the meals to the database at this time.
“That means we aren’t designating them as either having a Syn value or being Free.
“So our advice to members for now is to use the Syns Calculator which will give an estimated Syn value.
“As soon as we’re able to give you more information, we will.”