Man files lawsuit over 'Hawaiian rolls' not being made in Hawaii

Dec. 31 (UPI) -- A New York state man filed a class action lawsuit against the makers of King's Hawaiian sweet rolls, alleging the company misled him into believing the California-manufactured sweet rolls are made in Hawaii.

Robert Galinsky of Yonkers said in his lawsuit against King's Hawaiian that the packaging prominently features "Hilo, Hawaii" on the front, but the back reveals they are actually made in Torrance, Calif.

Galinsky said the packaging misled him into purchasing the product, believing the rolls to be made in Hawaii.

The lawsuit states the company "is the leading seller of Hawaiian Rolls and essentially invented this category of food," and cites incidents of the company taking legal action against other manufacturers for using the phrase "Hawaiian rolls" in marketing.

The King's Hawaiian website states the rolls were created by Robert Taira in the 1950s, when he opened Robert's Bakery in Hilo. The company was renamed to King's Bakery when it later expanded to Honolulu, and the business eventually closed to Torrance.

King's Hawaiian has yet to publicly respond to the lawsuit.