Big Mayo Vs. Little Mayo

When I was in culinary management school, I had to give a presentation about the exciting world of canned tomatoes -- everything you need to know when you're responsible for purchasing tomatoes for a restaurant. While at first it's easy to dismiss lazily -- take some tomatoes, jam 'em in a can -- in reality there was a hell of a lot more to it. In particular, the federal Food & Drug Administration had written regulations about tomatoes. Different grades based on different characteristics, genetic requirements to be a "plum tomato", strict measurements of pieces to be defined as either "diced" or "chopped". There were literally books of rules and regulations on how to definite and label what went into a can of tomatoes. Woe and pain (and fines) would come to the naive tomato packer who did not sit down and read these regulations carefully.

It gave me an insight into what the government does -- it protects the consumer by giving industry a set of clear definitions to live by, so the consumer can trust that a label portrays accurately what is within, regardless of marketing, spin or hocus pocus.

So it pricked up my ears when the blogosphere got all atwitter when it was announced that corporate behemoth Unilever (maker of Hellmann's, aka Big Mayo) was suing a tiny company named Hampton Creek over a product called "Just Mayo" (aka Little Mayo) for the reason that…Hampton Creek had mislabeled their product, and was not, in fact, mayo. Due to it's vegan eggless nature, where yolk was replaced by some sort of green pea starch, it may look like mayo, and may spread like mayo, may even taste like mayo, but in the eyes of the government, ain't mayo. 

The US Food and Drug Administration, which regulates the industry, considers mayonnaise to have some form of egg-yolk in its ingredients.
The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to France in the early 1800s, and defines the condiment as a "thick, creamy sauce consisting of egg yolks emulsified with oil and seasoned with salt, pepper, vinegar, and (usually) mustard".

I admit it: I can be prejudiced against behemoth corporate food giants who hold profits above the health of their customers. But sorry, little guy, I'm with Unilever on this case.

Hampton Creek, the company behind Just Mayo, has accused Unilever of using "horse and buggy era" definitions for identifying mayonnaise.

Sorry, but mayonnaise is mayonnaise. When the automobile was invented and made the horse and buggy extinct, they did not continue to call cars, "horse and buggies". Hampton Creek needs to rename their product something new and more honest, because it is NOT "Just Mayo" -- perhaps it's a small next step in the evolution of our food, but it lacks a certain truth in advertising -- exactly why the FDA set up all those exacting definitions to begin with.

I just wish this small company was more honest in their arguments. Just as "cream" becomes "creme" when it has a lack of dairy, perhaps we could have "mayno", "maeoh", or "processed pea-based savory spread".

On the other hand, it's nice for the little guy to get such a huge amount of free publicity. I personally hate mayonnaise, it tastes like sour lube to me. On the rare occasion that I need it, I simply make it in my stand mixer with an egg yolk, a cup of oil and a little mustard powder, easy peasy.

Instant Protestant Culture Kit

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WEEKLY AVERAGE: 2716
I can do better, but between the time of year and just dealing with life, I'm not gonna beat myself up.

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MONDAY COUNT: 2300

SLEPT: 9pm - 5am, 8 hrs

AM SNACK: 5:15 am, iced green tea

BREAKFAST: 10am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

LUNCH: 12pm, falafel, split pea soup, health salad, pickles, 630 cal

PM SNACK : 3:30pm, momma salad, Grazebox crackers , 210 cal

DINNER: 6pm, Stouffers French Bread pizzas, poppa salad with Italian,  1020 cal

EVENING SNACK: 7:30pm, popcorn, +/- 300 cal
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TUESDAY COUNT: 2720

SLEPT: 9pm-6am, 9hr
Good sleep, but a sick child at home with me made it a bit pressurized during the day.

AM SNACK: 6:15am, iced green tea

BREAKFAST: 7:30am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 9am,  Fage with honey, almonds, vanilla, 450 cal

LUNCH: 1:15pm, hake, asparagus, pickles, 500 cal

PM SNACK: 3pm, momma salad, Grazebox almons,  310  cal

PM SNACK: 4pm, kind bar, 200 cal

DINNER: 5:45pm, sautéed chicken breast, poppa salad with Italian, 400 cal

EVENING GRAZE: 7pm, potato chips, piece of good chocolate, doritos, +/- 700 cal
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WEDNESDAY COUNT: 3665

SLEPT: 9:30pm-6am, 8.5 hr
Really hungry, in a good mood, though.

AM SNACK: 6:15am, iced green tea

BREAKFAST: 8:45am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 10am,  steel cut oatmeal, 450 cal

LUNCH: 12:45pm, chicken meatballs, string beans, mushroom curry, pickles, 620 cal

PM SNACK: 1:30pm, pringles, 150 cal

PM SNACK: 4pm, momma salad, grazebox nuts, 330 cal

DINNER: 8:30pm, Chipotle burrito, chips and salsa, 1455 cal

EVENING SNACK: 9pm, almond butter and chocolate syrup, +-500 cal
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BIKE CREDIT: 665
THURSAY COUNT: 2285

SLEPT: 10:30pm-6am, 7.5hr
Between having a food 'hangover' from yesterday's big dinner and today's bike ride, the calorie count is low. I know it is better to be consistent in a lower number of calories rather than ping pong, though, to maintain a weight or lose some...

AM SNACK: 6:15am, iced green tea

BREAKFAST: 7am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 9:30am,  fage with honey, vanilla and almonds, 450 cal

BIKE SNACK 1: 12:30pm, 230 cal

LUNCH: 2:30pm, shrimp, quinoa, poppa salad with Italian, 900 cal

PM SNACK: 4pm, momma salad, Grazebox crackers, 210 cal

DINNER: 6:30pm, falafel platter, kombucha, +/- 800 cal

EVENING SNACK: 9pm, 2 kid granola bas, 200 cal

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FRIDAY COUNT: 2610

SLEPT: 9pm-1am, 2am-6am 7hr
Decent day.

AM SNACK: 6:30am, iced green tea

BREAKFAST: 9am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 9:30am,  steel cut oatmeal, 450 cal

LUNCH: 11:15am, sardine and avocado on whole wheat toast, poppa salad with Italian, pickles, health salad, 600 cal

PM SNACK: 3pm, slice of cake, +/- 400 cal

DINNER: 5:15pm, hot dog, fries, ice cream, +/- 1000 cal