Eggless condiment can still be called mayo, says FDA

Ars Technica » Scientific Method 2015-12-22

Mayonnaise, the creamy, fatty condiment often slathered on sandwiches and fries, may now have a looser definition—at least in the eyes of the Food and Drug Administration.

Generally, mayonnaise is an emulsion of oil and vinegar or lemon juice, and classic recipes use egg yolk as the emulsifier. But on Thursday the agency backed off on the requirement for mayonnaise products to contain eggs, allowing a formerly contested vegan condiment to keep ‘mayo’ in its name.

In August, the FDA sent a warning letter to Hampton Creek Foods, a San Francisco-based startup, over its vegan products “Just Mayo” and the spicy version “Just Mayo Sriracha.” The egg-less condiment, now sold at Whole Foods, Target, Walmart and others, has a cracked egg on the label.

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