I have heard of such cases. The situation regarding the difficult recipe could be handled under the Uniform Trade Secret Act, as adopted in various states, or

I have heard of such cases. The situation regarding the difficult recipe could be handled under the Uniform Trade Secret Act, as adopted in various states, or under common law related to tortious misappropriation of classified information. This might be a place where restrictive covenants not to compete aren’t really relevant, and if they disappeared, employees might still have all the tools they need to protect their interests.