Did Scrapbook Reveal KFC Trade Secret Recipe?

(August 28, 2016) Did the nephew of Col. Sanders just give away the family secret 11 herbs and spices used in the KFC recipe?

That’s what the Chicago Tribune thinks. A reporter says 67-year-old Joe Ledington showed him a family scrapbook that included a copy of Claudia Sanders’ will. She was the colonel’s second wife. Attached to the document was a recipe listing 11 herbs and spices along with the specific measurements. Using the Tribune’s taste kitchen, the newspaper claims—after several attempts—that the resulting fried chicken tastes the same as what you get at a KFC outlet.

So despite all the secrecy and care by Yum! Brands, did the original KFC recipe get out? Who knows, and those that do won’t say.

The point of the story—at least the legal point—is that your company needs to take all reasonable measures to keep its trade secrets from being disclosed. For most companies, that means limiting access to the trade secrets and keeping them in a safe place not available to anyone but those who need to know. In today’s world of cloud computing, hacking, and USB drives, companies need to be extra vigilant.

At Balough Law Offices, we assist our clients in protecting their trade secrets, including writing non-disclosure agreements and putting into effect policies and procedures to protect trade secrets. A company cannot be too careful or diligent in guarding its trade secrets. Maybe, as the story implies, it means checking old scrapbooks as well.