Just Mayo Violates Label Law
Just Mayo violates federal labeling laws, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Hampton Creek, the manufacturer, has been cited for “misleading” labels that suggest their products contain eggs. This applies to all flavors of the Just Mayo line of products.
In fact, Hampton Creek produces plant-based replacements for proteins derived from animals, including eggs. However, said the FDA, the term “mayo” in the brand name and the logo, which includes a large egg and a small plant, “may be misleading to consumers” by suggesting there are eggs in the products. The products also include modified food starch, pea protein and beta-carotene, which are not normally found in mayonnaise.
“The term ‘mayo’ has long been used and understood as shorthand or slang for mayonnaise,” William A. Correll Jr., director of the F.D.A.’s office of compliance for food safety and applied nutrition, wrote in a letter to Hampton Creek. The federal standards of identity for food require that any product called mayonnaise contain eggs
In addition, the company has touted its products as “heart healthy,” which the FDA also disputes. Just Mayo and Just Mayo Sriracha contain too much fat for the company to imply that they were “heart healthy,” according to the FDA.
This issue is pressing now, according to a report in The New York Times, because of the high cost of eggs. Since the avian flu epidemic this spring and summer, which caused the spike in egg prices, other companies have begun to use Hampton Creek’s products. The company markets cookies and a cookie dough intended to be eaten straight out of the container. Those contain no eggs.
Hampton Creek products are sold widely, including at ShopRite stores, Target, Whole Foods, Kings and numerous other chains. A 30-ounce jar of Just Mayo retails for around $8, according to a number of grocery websites.
One cost-effective option for consumers is to make mayonnaise at home in small quantities. In my household, we make mayonnaise often and flavor it with mustard, garlic, or hot sauce. Here’s a basic recipe that’s best with a blender, but fine with a whisk. This is a good job for kids.
Ingredients:
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice (or vinegar if you plan to use other flavors that will clash with lemon)
- dash of salt or garlic salt (optional)
- 1 cup canola oil, olive oil, or any other oil
- dried mustard, hot sauce, garlic salt are all good flavor options.
- Combine yolks, lemon juice, and salt (if you’re using it) in a blender or by whisking well. The yolks will become fluffy and yellow.
- Add 1/2 of the oil a little at a time
- With the blender running, add half of the oil a few tablespoons at a time. Blend well after each addition.
You can thin the mayonnaise with water, if necessary. If you are adding hot sauce or other seasonings, do so now.