FrieslandCampina Secured Trademark for Chocomel Yellow
The dairy manufacturer won exclusive rights to its signature packaging color, blocking competitors in the Benelux.
Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Consumer Goods
Live Poll
Should companies be allowed to hold exclusive trademark rights to specific colors for their products?
FrieslandCampina has successfully obtained trademark protection for the specific shade of yellow used on Chocomel packaging throughout the Benelux. This decision allows the company to block competing cocoa beverage manufacturers from using the same color in their branding.
Why it matters
The ruling strengthens brand equity for established consumer products by preventing competitors from capitalizing on recognized visual assets. It forces firms to differentiate their packaging further to avoid infringing on protected brand identities in specific regional markets.
The Chocomel brand has maintained its identity since 1932, joining the FrieslandCampina portfolio in 2001. The protection represents a successful defense of a core brand asset against an application filed by Spanish-based competitor Grupo Cacaolat.
The players
FrieslandCampina
A global dairy cooperative that operates as one of the world's largest dairy companies with a vast portfolio of consumer beverage and food brands.
Grupo Cacaolat
A Spanish beverage manufacturer focused on cocoa-based drinks that operates as a regional competitor to established European dairy brands.
The details
FrieslandCampina secured the trademark by filing a formal objection against a yellow logo application submitted by Grupo Cacaolat to trademark authorities. By establishing that the specific shade is a central identifier of the Chocomel brand, the company now holds the power to restrict other manufacturers from adopting the same color scheme for cocoa beverages within the Benelux. Competitors will need to conduct rigorous trademark research to ensure their own branding does not infringe on these newly protected visual properties.
Timeline
1932: Chocomel brand began its market existence.
2001: Chocomel was integrated into the FrieslandCampina portfolio via Nutricia.
October 6, 2026: The trademark victory was formally reported.
Market Landscape
This ruling follows the established legal pattern set by the Cadbury purple trademark dispute regarding the protection of singular brand colors. It reinforces the trend of legacy consumer brands utilizing intellectual property law to create defensive moats around long-standing visual assets.
Operators in the consumer goods space should audit their packaging palettes to identify potential overlap with regional trademark holders. Brands intending to launch or expand in the Benelux should perform enhanced trademark due diligence to ensure compliance with this new intellectual property standard.
The takeaway
Securing exclusive rights to a color palette creates a significant barrier to entry for competitors attempting to leverage brand-adjacent aesthetics. Consider reviewing your own brand guidelines against regional trademark registers to ensure that your visual identity remains legally defensible.
Further reading
For more on competitive strategy, visit our Consumer Goods section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by RetailDetail.
Live Poll
Should companies be allowed to hold exclusive trademark rights to specific colors for their products?
