Just Mayo
Product brand
UnclaimedJust Mayo is an egg-free, mayonnaise-style spread developed by Hampton Creek, now Eat Just, Inc.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Just Mayo is an egg-free mayonnaise-style spread created by Hampton Creek, the company later renamed JUST, Inc. and now known as Eat Just, Inc. The product was developed as part of Josh Tetrick's effort to create lower-cost alternatives to conventional egg-based foods. Its formulation uses plant ingredients rather than eggs, with a particular variety of Canadian yellow field pea supplying proteins that help create the emulsion normally associated with mayonnaise. The company reportedly spent about two years developing the formula and screened approximately 1,500 plants before identifying eleven candidates with useful emulsifying properties. The product was first released on September 19, 2013, through Whole Foods Markets in Northern California. By October 2013, it was being manufactured by co-packers in Seattle and Tennessee and distributed to Whole Foods stores across the United States through United Natural Foods. By October 2014, distribution had expanded to several major American grocery chains, including Whole Foods, Kroger, Safeway, ShopRite, Target, and Costco. The brand offered an original version as well as flavored varieties including wasabi, truffle, sesame ginger, garlic, chipotle, and sriracha. Just Mayo became notable not only as a plant-based food product but also as a challenge to the established egg and mayonnaise industries. Its name and packaging generated a major labeling dispute because United States Food and Drug Administration standards traditionally defined mayonnaise as a product containing vegetable oil and an egg-yolk ingredient. Unilever, whose brands included Hellmann's and Best Foods, sued Hampton Creek in 2014, arguing that the product was being marketed deceptively as mayonnaise and that its advertising made comparative and superiority claims. Unilever later withdrew the lawsuit, stating that Hampton Creek should work with industry groups and regulators to address the labeling questions. The FDA subsequently warned Hampton Creek in August 2015 that Just Mayo's labeling and promotional material could mislead consumers because the product did not satisfy the regulatory standard for mayonnaise. The agency also objected to implied heart-health messaging associated with the product's lack of cholesterol, because the spread's fat content limited the use of such claims. Hampton Creek announced in December 2015 that it would revise the packaging. The revised presentation made the product's nature clearer and explained the word “Just” in the brand name. The brand also became associated with controversy surrounding alleged efforts to stimulate demand. In 2014, Hampton Creek reportedly purchased large quantities of its own products from retailers and arranged for contractors to make customer inquiries, actions that were characterized as attempts to increase the products' perceived popularity. In 2016, reporting described a two-year campaign by the American Egg Board and affiliated organizations to counter Just Mayo's publicity. A United States Department of Agriculture investigation concluded that the board had exceeded its congressional mandate. Just Mayo's retail presence later became inconsistent. By early 2019, the product was difficult to find and was no longer carried by the major retailers previously associated with it, although distribution reportedly improved during the latter part of that year. The product remained listed on the Eat Just website in November 2020, but by December 2020 the company's website had removed its other products, including Just Mayo, while retaining Just Egg. The brand's present commercial status is therefore unclear.
History
Just Mayo originated in Hampton Creek's broader attempt to develop plant-based substitutes for conventional egg products. Josh Tetrick reportedly invested $37,000 in the effort, which included work under the Beyond Eggs and Hampton Creek initiatives. The product was formulated in 2011 and took approximately two years to develop. Researchers screened about 1,500 plants and identified eleven with useful emulsification properties. The principal egg-replacing ingredient was a specific variety of Canadian yellow field pea, whose protein helped produce the texture expected from a mayonnaise-style spread. Just Mayo entered the market on September 19, 2013, when it was introduced through Whole Foods stores in Northern California. In October of that year, co-packers in Seattle and Tennessee produced the spread, while United Natural Foods distributed it to Whole Foods locations around the United States. The product's retail footprint expanded during 2014 to include chains such as Kroger, Safeway, ShopRite, Target, and Costco. Its portfolio included original and flavored versions, with flavors such as wasabi, truffle, sesame ginger, garlic, chipotle, and sriracha. The brand's growth attracted opposition from established egg and mayonnaise interests. In 2014, Unilever sued Hampton Creek, arguing that a product without egg could not be called mayonnaise under FDA standards. The lawsuit also challenged egg-related imagery and comparative marketing. Unilever later dropped the case while Hampton Creek worked with regulators and industry groups. In August 2015, the FDA issued a warning concerning the product's labeling and implied heart-health claims. Hampton Creek responded in December by announcing revised packaging designed to make the product's identity clearer and to explain the term “Just.” Just Mayo was also linked to two separate controversies. Reports in 2014 said Hampton Creek had purchased its own products from retailers and arranged customer calls intended to increase apparent demand. In 2016, reporting described a campaign by the American Egg Board and associated organizations against the brand. The USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service investigated the matter and concluded that the board had exceeded its mandate. After its initial expansion, Just Mayo's distribution became unstable. The product was reportedly difficult to find by early 2019, though availability improved during the second half of that year. It remained listed on the Eat Just website in November 2020, but by December most products had been removed from the site, with Just Egg reportedly remaining. The current status of Just Mayo is not established by the available material.
- 2020
Product removed from Eat Just website
[1]The product was listed in November but was no longer among the company's website products by December.
- 2019
Distribution becomes inconsistent
[1]Just Mayo becomes difficult to find at major retailers early in the year, with reported improvement later in 2019.
- 2017
Hampton Creek renamed JUST
[1]The parent company changes its name to JUST, Inc.
- 2015
FDA warning and packaging response
[1]The FDA warns Hampton Creek about labeling and implied health claims; the company later announces revised packaging.
- 2014
Retail expansion and labeling lawsuit
[1]The product expands into additional grocery chains while Unilever challenges its use of the mayonnaise designation.
- 2013
First retail release
[1]Just Mayo launches in Northern California Whole Foods Markets on September 19.
- 2013
National distribution begins
[1]Co-packers in Seattle and Tennessee produce the spread for distribution to Whole Foods stores across the United States.
- 2011
Formulation work begins
[1]Hampton Creek begins developing a plant-based alternative to egg-based mayonnaise as part of its broader egg-substitute research.
Products and positioning
A plant-based, egg-free alternative to conventional mayonnaise, positioned around food innovation, reduced reliance on animal ingredients, and the use of plant proteins to reproduce the texture and functionality of an egg-based spread.
Egg-free mayonnaise-style spread · 2013
Just Mayo Original
The original Just Mayo formulation, designed to reproduce the creamy texture and emulsified character of conventional mayonnaise without using eggs. Its formulation relies on plant-derived ingredients, including yellow field pea protein.
Flavored plant-based condiments
Just Mayo flavored varieties
The brand offered flavored versions in wasabi, truffle, sesame ginger, garlic, chipotle, and sriracha profiles. These variants extended the egg-free spread into more specialized condiment use cases.
Controversies
2016
American Egg Board opposition campaign
The American Egg Board and affiliated organizations were reported to have conducted a secret, two-year effort to counter publicity for Just Mayo. A USDA investigation condemned the board for exceeding its congressional mandate.
2014
Alleged self-purchasing and demand stimulation
Reports said Hampton Creek purchased hundreds of bottles of its own mayonnaise-style product from United States grocery stores and had contractors make customer inquiries, allegedly to increase the product's perceived popularity.
Brand decisions
2017
Rename the parent companyStrategyBackground
Hampton Creek was developing a broader portfolio of plant-based food products beyond Just Mayo.
Action taken
The company changed its name to JUST, Inc.
Aftermath
The renamed company later became associated with Eat Just, Inc.; the available material does not establish a separate commercial outcome for Just Mayo.
2015
Revise product packagingStrategyBackground
The FDA said that the product's use of the term mayonnaise and some promotional health messaging could mislead consumers.
Action taken
Hampton Creek announced revised packaging with more prominent clarification about the product and an explanation of the word “Just.”
Aftermath
The change was intended to address the FDA's labeling concerns, although the brand continued to face uncertain distribution later in the decade.
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