Just Mayo

Just Mayo
Nutritional value per 1 Tablespoon (14g)
Energy 90 kcal (380 kJ)
1 g
10 g
Saturated 0.5 g
Trans 0 g
Minerals
Sodium
(0%)

.105 mg

Other constituents
Energy from fat 90 kcal (380 kJ)
Cholesterol 0
Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.

Just Mayo is an egg-free mayonnaise substitute produced by Hampton Creek. Just Mayo was first released in Northern California Whole Foods Markets on September 19, 2013.[1] Just Mayo comes in original, garlic, chipotle and sriracha flavors. It has been described as "a vegan spread that has rattled the egg industry."[2]

History

Just Mayo does not contain eggs[3] and the formula took approximately two years to create.[4] The research and development team at Hampton Creek screened 1,500 plants before discovering eleven that were suitable for the emulsification purposes in a mayonnaise.[5] The plant that replaces the egg in Just Mayo is a specific variety of the Canadian yellow field pea (a type of split pea).[6][7]

Production and distribution milestones

In October 2013, Just Mayo was produced by a copacker located in Seattle and Tennessee and distributed to Whole Foods across the United States by distribution company United Natural Foods.[8]

In October 2014, Just Mayo was available in about six grocery store chains in the United States, including Whole Foods, Kroger, Safeway, ShopRite, Target and Costco.[9]

Labelling controversy

On October 31, 2014, Unilever—parent company of competing brand Hellmann's/Best Foods, filed a lawsuit against Hampton Creek for false advertising, arguing that Just Mayo cannot be marketed as mayonnaise because it does not meet the definition of the product specified by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA requires that "mayonnaise" contain 65% vegetable oil and at least one egg yolk-containing ingredient; Just Mayo contains ingredients such as pea protein, beta-carotene, and modified food starch, none of which are used in mayonnaise according to FDA standards.[10] Unilever also noted the use of egg-oriented imagery in its promotional materials, and stated that its false claims were "part of a larger campaign and pattern of unfair competition by Hampton Creek to falsely promote Just Mayo spread as tasting better than, and being superior to, Best Foods and Hellmann’s mayonnaise." Hampton Creek CEO Joshua Tetrick denied any wrongdoing, believing that Unilever's lawsuit was meant to solely hinder competition.[7][11]

On December 18, 2014, Unilever dropped the lawsuit so Hampton Creek could work with "industry groups and appropriate regulatory authorities" on resolving its labelling, while also complimenting the company for its "commitment to innovation and its inspired corporate purpose."[12] In August 2015, the FDA sent Hampton Creek a formal warning that Just Mayo's labeling was misleading due to the product not meeting the standards for "mayonnaise", and because of wording on the packaging and promotional materials that contained an "implied health claim that these products can reduce the risk of heart disease due to the absence of cholesterol", which cannot be included as it contains too much fat to be promoted with such statements.[10]

In December 2015, Hampton Creek announced that it had agreed to revise its packaging for Just Mayo in order to comply with the FDA's recommendations. The new label contains more prominent statements surrounding the nature of the product, and contains an explanation that the word "Just" in the product's name is defined as being "guided by reason, justice, and fairness."[13][14]

References

  1. Blackstone, John (September 20, 2013). "Cracking the egg: Food innovators at Calif. start-up seek egg alternatives". CBSNews.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  2. "Despite lack of eggs, Just Mayo keeping its name". Times Union. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
  3. Hamshaw, Gena (July 28, 2013). "Beyond Eggs: A Profile of Hampton Creek Foods. Plus My Recipe for Vegan, Gluten Free Curried Tofu Salad". Choosingraw.com. non-GMO, gluten free and made via expeller-pressed oil.
  4. "Bill Gates' Food Fetish: Hampton Creek Foods Looks To Crack The Egg Industry". Forbes. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
  5. VanHemert, Kyle (December 10, 2013). "Hampton Creek Foods Reinvents the Egg—and Cookie Dough". Wired.com. Condé Nast Digital.
  6. http://www.agr.gc.ca/eng/industry-markets-and-trade/statistics-and-market-information/by-product-sector/crops/pulses-and-special-crops-canadian-industry/dry-pea/?id=1174597774743
  7. 1 2 "Lawsuit Could Force Upstart Condiment Brand to Hold the 'Mayo'". Money. Time Inc. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  8. Wong, Venessa (October 22, 2013). "How a Vegan Mayo Maker Bulks Up for Whole Foods". Forbes.com. had to find a manufacturing partner with more capacity than Hampton Creek’s 2,400-square-foot facility; Tetrick found one in the Pacific Northwest. With distributor United Natural Foods, Tetrick’s team started doing test runs to every region that contained a Whole Foods.
  9. Lopez-Alt, Kenji. "Serious Eats".
  10. 1 2 "Warning Letter - Hampton Creek Foods 8/12/15". FDA. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  11. "Big Food's weird war over the meaning of mayonnaise, America's top condiment". Washington Post. 10 November 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  12. Pierson, David. "Unilever drops lawsuit against vegan mayonnaise maker". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  13. "Just Mayo Reaches Agreement With FDA to Keep Name, Change Label". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  14. Shanker, Deena (2015-12-17). "The FDA has decided that vegan Just Mayo is actually mayo after all". Quartzaccess-date = 2015-12-18.
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