Feds Say Vegan Mayo Needs Eggs to Be Called Mayo

The Silicon Valley food startup Hampton Creek, which has experienced explosive growth selling egg-free mayonnaise-like spreads and cookie doughs, is in trouble with US food regulators for “misbranding” its products and failing to follow certain labeling rules.

The company’s products, including “Just Mayo”, are commonly sold at Whole Foods, Safeway, and other major supermarkets. The label features an egg with a plant growing in front, which Josh Tetrick, Hampton Creek’s chief executive, said in December was the company’s way of showing they used plants in place of eggs.

The Food and Drug Administration sent a letter to the maker of the mayonnaise alternative earlier this month, noting that the product’s name and label could be misleading.

The letter is dated 12 August, and was posted online on Tuesday. “Together these statements and heart symbol are an implied health claim that these products can reduce the risk of heart disease due to the absence of cholesterol”. It says ingredients such as food starch and beta-carotene don’t conform to the standard definition of mayo.

According to the FDA, the answer is: eggs.

The “egg” of Hampton Creek’s Just Mayo-and Just Mayo Sriracha, which was also cited in the warning letter-is actually a byproduct of Canadian yellow pea and has fast become a popular product on grocery store shelves across the country, TIME reported previous year.

Consumers and advocates have criticised Unilever over its lawsuit, calling it a response to the fact that Hampton Creek and other small food start-ups are chipping away at the company’s huge market share.

Mayonnaise was likely invented by a French chef in the 1700s whose olive oil and egg creation celebrated a Duke’s victory over the British at Port Mahon.

If Hampton Creek can’t win its fight against the FDA, it should embrace its differences and call its product something that gets the point across in an inviting way.

“We applaud Hampton Creek’s commitment to innovation and its inspired corporate goal”.

In October 2014, Unilever, which owns Hellmann’s mayonnaise, filed a lawsuit against the company for false advertising.

The letter also takes issue with Hampton Creek’s claim made on the packaging that JustMayo is cholesterol-free, as well as the phrase “You’ll never find cholesterol in our products” that’s featured on its website.