MAYONNAISES - CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE®

Information updated April 2024

According to Statista 2024, Mayonnaise is the #1 most used condiment in the U.S. 

Q: Do you know what's in your favorite Mayonnaise? 

If we make mayonnaise from scratch it includes egg yolks and/or whole eggs, olive or avocado oil, lemon and/or vinegar plus salt. Anything we would not use as an ingredient to make mayonnaise at home is designated as an ingredient which is NIK™ or Not In Kitchen™.

Unilever's Hellmann’s/Best Foods Mayonnaise (different names on East/West coast, but the same product) is the #1 mayonnaise brand in the U.S., according to Statista 2024. 

UNILEVER'S HELLMANN'S/BEST FOOD MAYONNAISES: These mayonnaise products are made with Soybean Oil + Sugar + Water + Added Flavors, plus a chemical preservative which is banned at Whole Foods Market >> Calcium Disodium Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid. (Sources for ingredients: Unilever Hellmann's and Best Foods Web sites 4/24; Source for banned ingredients Amazon Whole Foods Market Web site 4/24)

Soybean Oil is the #1 ingredient in Hellmann's/Best Foods Mayonnaise. Water is #2.

Q: WHAT IS CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA? Calcium Disodium Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid is “Used to Protect Quality” (as noted on the Hellman’s/Best Foods ingredient list). It is an FDA-recognized chemical preservative and has been banned by Whole Foods Market who cites it as “Unacceptable in food.”

According to the Unilever Food Solutions Web site 4/24, Hellmann’s/Best Foods Mayonnaise has a shelf life of 210 days or roughly seven months.

Think of Hellmann's/Best Foods Mayonnaise lasting 210 days relative to how many days homemade mayonnaise would last. 

After perusing a few cooking experts’ sites, two weeks is the consensus on how long homemade mayonnaise will last in the fridge. 

Q: WHAT INGREDIENTS WERE IN THE ORIGINAL HELLMANN'S MAYONNAISE? Once upon a time, Hellmann’s Mayonnaise was definitely Closer To Homemade >>  there is a list of the ingredients contained within an old print ad from the early days of the brand.

"Real Mayonnaise is made like the home kind. It contains only Freshly Broken Eggs, Added Egg Yolks, Choice Vinegar, Spices, and our own 'FRESH PRESS' Salad Oil which we ourselves prepare fresh each day, as it is needed."

THEN VS. NOW HELLMANN'S COMPARISON: Let’s take a quick look at what Hellmann’s/Best Foods Mayonnaise originally contained decades ago vs. the modified ingredients in April 2024.

Hellmann's/Best Foods mayonnaise today looks quite different from the Hellmann's of decades ago. 

Q: Why do you think Hellmann's/Best Foods has made these product changes over the years?

Q: Are these changes made for the benefit of the consumer or the corporation?

HEINZ MAYONNAISE HAS THE EXACT SAME INGREDIENTS AS HELLMANN’S MAYONNAISE, JUST IN SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT AMOUNTS. (Source for ingredients: Kraft Heinz Heinz Web site 4/24)

Similar to Hellmann’s, Kraft Heinz’s Heinz Mayonnaise is banned at Whole Foods for containing Calcium Disodium Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid.

These are some of the Soybean-Oil based Mayonnaises which contain Calcium Disodium EDTA:

Shown below, the ingredients for Kraft Mayo. Kraft Heinz refers to this as “Real Mayo” but . . .

Here’s what’s in Vegan Mayos and Mayos from another Unilever-owned Mayonnaise brand:

Shown below, DUKE’S MAYONNAISE HAS A FALSE CLAIM ON ITS PACKAGE: Although Duke’s Mayonnaise now contains a Chemical Preservative recognized by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration which was not in Duke’s original ingredients, the package falsely states “Family Recipe since 1917”. Duke’s once stated in an historical print advertisement that they did not add “unnecessary artificial preservatives” . . . but they do now. Duke’s is owned by Falfurrias Capital.

CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE: The Mayonnaises certified as Closest To Homemade have no added Sweeteners, Colors, Flavors, Gums, Soybean Oil, Canola Oil or Chemical Preservatives. They are made with one or more of the following: Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil and/or Mid to High Oleic Safflower Oil or Sunflower Oil. (Sources for ingredients: Brand Web sites 4/24)

Chosen Foods Classic, Organic and Roasted Garlic Mayos — above right — are Certified Glyphosate Residue Free by The Detox Project.

Q: WHAT DOES GLYPHOSATE RESIDUE FREE MEAN? What is glyphosate?

A: In its most simple explanation, Glyphosate is a known carcinogenic, man-made crop chemical with multiple properties designed to work in tandem with GMO or Genetically Modified Crop Organisms >> both the Glyphosate and the plant seeds are made by the chemical companies.

Consuming glyphosate has been linked to numerous serious health issues and the use of glyphosate is directly responsible for multiple environmental tragedies. (Sources: USDA, Dr. Stephanie Seneff at MIT, Dr. Don Huber, The Detox Project and The Non-GMO Project)

Learn more about glyphosate and other toxic chemicals in our food supplies plus solutions for personal in-home testing at The Detox Project here:

For additional information on Glyphosate and GMOs, consider watching the Ingredient Inspector video on YouTube on High Fructose Corn Syrup; 94% of U.S corn crops are GMO:

MAYONNAISE COMPARISON: Below is a look at the #1 Mayonnaise in the U.S. vs. a Closest To Homemade brand >> Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Mayonnaise. (Sources: Unilever Hellmann’s/Best Foods Web sites 4/24; Butterfly Equities Chosen Foods Web site 4/24)

Q: From an ingredient perspective, which one of these mayonnaises looks most appealing to you?

REDUCED FAT PRODUCTS: Reduced fat products tend to have more ingredients Not In Kitchen than the Basic versions.

For example shown below, Unilever's Hellmann's/Best Foods Light Mayonnaise contains Soybean Oil, Water, Sugar, Natural Flavor and Calcium Disodium Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid (like Basic Hellmann's), but Hellmann's/Best Foods Light Mayonnaise also contains Modified Corn Starch, Modified Potato Starch, Sorbic Acid, and Vitamin E. The Light versions contain 2 ingredients banned at Whole Foods, while the Basic versions contain 1 ingredient banned at Whole Foods. (Source: Amazon Whole Foods Web site 4/24)

IDEAL MAYONNAISE STORAGE: Since mayonnaise contains oil and all oils are very “fragile” in that, when exposed to oxygen, they begin to slowly break down and ultimately become rancid >> oils which can be beneficial can become harmful. 

WHAT IS OXIDATION? It’s like when you cut an apple open and it will turn brown within a short period of time >> that is happening with the oil in the mayonnaise but you cannot necessarily see it. If you have room in your refrigerator, use the fridge to store all mayo (unopened + opened) to slow the oxidation process. Keep the lid off for as short a period as possible when using the mayonnaise.

AVOID: GMO oils (esp. soybean, corn, cottonseed + canola), added flavors, colors, sugar, chemical preservatives, modified food starch, gums, reduced fat or low fat versions (they have even more ingredients Not In Kitchen™), plastic containers.

NOTE: Many commercial brands, like Unilever's Hellmann’s/Best Foods made with Olive Oil Mayonnaise Dressing, for example, which says “with Olive Oil” on the front of the bottle (but the “with” is in tiny type we may not see) >> they may ALSO contain other cheaper oils like Soybean Oil >> like Unilever's Hellmann's and Best Foods Mayonnaises. Please check the ingredients.

Unilever's Hellmann’s/Best Foods with Olive Oil Mayonnaise Dressing also contains Canola Oil and Soybean Oil.

And we leave you with a couple of fascinating serving suggestions for Hellmann’s Mayonnaise from back in the days of old:

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