Fresh Choice Marketplace in Garden Grove found itself in a bit of political hot water when customers started complaining about the grocery store carrying Sabra hummus on its shelves. The question wasn't centered on the quality of the brand itself--long a favorite Middle Eastern food brand in the United States--but the growing call to boycott it from Palestinian civil society.

The hummus is made by Sabra Dipping Co. and is substantially co-owned by the Strauss Group, a major Israeli food-product manufacturer. Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS) activists have noted Sabra's parent company has been supportive of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and especially the controversial Golani and Govati brigades within it.

With this backdrop of occupation, shopper and Little Arabia advocate Rashad Al-Dabbagh was shocked to see Sabra hummus on the shelves three days ago and decided to question the store via social media.

U.S. District Court Judge Andrew J. Guilford declared that S & S clearly controls the rights to "Ono Hawaiian BBQ" (including a few variations) and that Carrie Lutke had infringed upon those rights by naming her businesses Ono Means Delicious.

According to Guilford, Lutke's use of "Ono" could have easily confused consumers and potentially harmed S & S in the marketplace.