FACT CHECK: Did The Balchem Corporation Trademark Juneteenth Before It Became A National Holiday?

A post shared on Facebook claims the Balchem Corporation, a food and health products company, trademarked Juneteenth before it was established as a national holiday.

Verdict: Misleading

The Balchem Corporation attempted unsuccessfully to trademark the word “Juneteenth” in 2021. The company does not currently own any trademarks with that name.

Fact Check:

President Joe Biden signed a bill in June 2021 enshrining Juneteenth, a day that commemorates the freeing of the slaves in 1865, as a federal holiday, according to the Associated Press. A post shared on Facebook claims a company trademarked the word “Juneteenth” before it could be made a public holiday. 

This claim is misleading. While the Balchem Corporation submitted a trademark application for the word “Juneteenth” to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in September 2021, according to the office’s records, the application was later abandoned. The submission sought to cover “flavor enhancers used in food and beverage products” including bakery goods, records show.

The listing declared the indicator of the trademark as “dead,” meaning the listing is no longer being pursued or active. The company abandoned the “Junetheenth” trademark application May 23, USPTO records say.

Adjckwc Browne, a New York-based lawyer, provided a document revealing the trademark was suspended pending a different party’s application to trademark “Juneteenth Joy,” WRAL.com reported.

Check Your Fact reached out to the Balchem Corporation and will update this piece if a response is received.

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