More on Just (Not?) Mayo

On Monday, I wrote a post that discussed various foods - or not foods, depending upon your point of view. One of the items discussed was a product from Hampton Creek Foods called Just Mayo. As I noted on Monday, the innovation of Hampton Creek Foods is that their products are produced without using animals.

Therefore, Just Mayo contains no eggs.

As I wrote that post, I did not realize the implications of this on the product name. However, as Keith Wilson notes, there are certainly implications:

I have to agree mayo contains eggs. If it doesn't contain eggs it shouldn't be called mayo, it's a mayo-like substance.

Now Hampton Creek Foods may not care what Keith Wilson thinks, but they'll probably have to pay attention to Unilever:

Unilever, the parent company of Hellmann’s, sued a San Francisco-based Hampton Creek for false advertising over the company’s use of the word “mayo” in its eggless sandwich spread’s name.

According to the suit, Unilever claims that the name of the Just Mayo spread misleads consumers because regulators and dictionaries define mayonnaise as a spread that contains eggs.

According to Consumerist, Hampton Creek agrees that mayonnaise is a spread that contains eggs - which is why its product is not called Just Mayonnaise.

However, Hampton Creek could do a lot more to stop Unilever. In fact, Hampton Creek could boldly pronounce that its product is NOT mayonnaise, and if you want to buy true chicken-based mayonnaise, Unilever would be happy to provide it to you.

(Source: PETA)
Of course, Hampton Creek's message would only be effective if it partnered with the (so called) People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. As you may guess, PETA is not a fan of chicken eggs:

The 346 million chickens used each year for their eggs, called “laying hens” by the industry, endure a nightmare that lasts for two years.

At just a few days old, a large portion of each hen’s beak is cut off with a burning-hot blade, and no painkillers are used. Many birds, unable to eat because of the pain, die from dehydration and weakened immune systems.

After enduring these mutilations, hens are shoved into tiny wire “battery” cages, which measure roughly 18 by 20 inches and hold five to 11 hens, each of whom has a wingspan of 32 inches. Even in the best-case scenario, each hen will spend the rest of her life crowded in a space about the size of a file drawer with four other hens, unable to lift even a single wing.

Sounds like hell, man.