EXPOSED: A Lawsuit Claims TGI Friday’s ‘Mozzarella Snack Sticks' Don’t Actually Contain Mozzarella

Daily News - A federal judge ruled this week that a potential class action lawsuit against the makers of a popular frozen food appetizer from TGI Friday’s can proceed because of misleading labels.

According to the suit, the “TGI Friday’s Mozzarella Snack Sticks” that can be found in the freezer aisle at grocery stores nationwide actually contain cheddar cheese. Only fine print on the back informs customers of the type of cheese used in the product, but multiple images show the prominent placement of “mozzarella” on the packaging.

Amy Joseph of Illinois filed the lawsuit in Feb. 2021. Inventure has accused Joseph of being a serial lawsuit filer, but the court ruled the lawsuit could go forward. It remains unclear whether it will become a class-action lawsuit because of different state laws.

I'm between a rock and a hard place on this one.

On one hand, we have Amy Joseph, who seems like one of those people who wakes up in the morning and thinks about who she can go after and sue that day.

On the other hand, we have TGI Fridays, an American mainstay, the place that put our beloved Jon Taffer on the map, being accused of nefarious business practices.

I feel like this time we all lose.

If you're the kind of person who orders mozzarella sticks from TGI Fridays, or buys them in your local grocer's freezer to make at home, and you were under the impression you were getting anything besides one of those string cheese sticks we used to eat in school back in the day, coated in canola oil and breadcrumbs, then I don't know what to tell you. 

This isn't Campania or Napoli buffalo milk we're talking about here. 

(Fun fact- real mozzarella comes from water buffaloes. And originated in southern Italy like everything else great in this world)

One thing this definitely is NOT, is not comparable to the "mystery tuna" at Subway scandal. Something I covered with dear friend of the program (and my new landlord/biz partner) Jim Graziano back when Subway's crisis control team attempted to handle the situation.

Cheddar isn't an elite cheese like mozzarella, but it still fucks.  

And to be honest, when you're going appetizer order at a TGI Friday's, it doesn't really matter what's inside those breadcrumb tubes as long as its semi-melted cheese. You could throw gruyere or muenster in there and they'd still play. 

Besides, this lawsuit is in reference to these snacks, not the delicious deep fried treats delivered to your table.

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So all in all, TGI Friday's is still A-ok in my book as long as we're not talking about the Jack Daniels whiskey glaze not containing Jack Daniels (That shit is absolute fire).

p.s. - best mozzarella sticks I think I've ever had are from this spot Anchiove's in the south end Boston. for a grocery store, I wouldn't kick trader joe's frozen mozzarella sticks out of bed. the mcdonalds' in Italy have mozzarella sticks on their menus and no joke they're legit.