Hellmann’s has renamed its vegan mayonnaise to just ‘plant based’ in an effort to win back meat eaters.
The brand launched the vegan version of their most popular condiment in Britain in 2018 as more people switched to veganism for ethical and health reasons.
But Hellmann’s says it will stop using the term ‘vegan’ to be more inclusive towards flexitarians – people who eat mostly plant-based foods but include meat, eggs or fish on occasion.
It is the latest example of veganism appearing to be fall out of fashion as many vegan restaurants in the UK have been forced to shut recently, with others feeling forced to add meat to their menus.
A spokesperson for Hellmann’s said its consumer research had found the word ‘vegan’ can be a ‘barrier for flexitarians, who see ‘plant-based’ as more inclusive’.
Hellmann’s has renamed its vegan mayonnaise to just ‘plant based’ in an effort to win back meat eaters
It added that there was ‘considerable headroom for growth’ in vegan mayonnaise, ‘particularly from consumers who want to cut back on animal-based products without becoming fully vegan’.
Hellmann’s confirmed to the Telegraph that its Vegan Mayo is now called Plant Based Mayo and is currently being distributed to supermarkets across the country.
The condiment has been reformulated with less rapeseed oil, added sunflower oil and xantham gum but is still free from animal products.
Hellmann’s new packaging for its ‘plant based’ mayonnaise is now being sold in stores nationwide
It comes after a study last year found red meat eaters were more likely to buy plant-based foods that were not labelled as vegan.
When a food gift basket was labelled ‘vegan’, 20 per cent of people chose it, in the study by the University of Southern California.
However, 44 per cent picked the same basket when it was marked as ‘healthy and sustainable’.
Charlie Watson, founder of vegan fast food chain Oowee, was recently forced to add meat to menus, concluding that restaurants ‘have got to sell meat’ to prosper.
He added: ‘For veganism to become mainstream, it needs to be a case of every restaurant offering both – serving great vegan food and great meat-based food, rather than making it singular.’
Last year, the chain was forced to close one of its vegan-only sites in Dalston, east London, whilst one of its rivals, Neat Burger, shut half its eateries last year after a £7.9 million loss in 2022.
Honest Burger also had to add meat to the menu of its vegan-only site in London’s Covent Garden after just six months.
