http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/11/business/unilever-sues-a-start-up-over-mayonnaise-like-product.html 2014-11-10 16:46:55 Unilever Sues a Start-Up Over Mayonnaise-Like Product Unilever, the maker of Hellmann’s and Best Foods mayonnaise, has sued Hampton Creek, which makes an eggless spread called Just Mayo. === Is mayo mayonnaise if it doesn’t contain eggs? The food giant Hampton Creek, whose investors include Bill Gates, the Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing and prominent venture capitalists, replaces eggs with yellow peas in its spread, which is called Just Mayo. In its lawsuit, Unilever contends that Just Mayo is denting sales of its popular mayonnaise products, known as Hellmann’s in the East and Best Foods west of the Rockies. Just Mayo has rapidly won distribution in giant grocery chains like Target and Walmart, and Hampton recently began selling Just Cookies, an eggless, dairy-free cookie dough in four flavors. Just Mayo’s label features a white egg cracked by a pea shoot, which Unilever contends violates federal law governing trademarks and advertising claims by giving consumers the false impression that the product contains eggs. Unilever said Just Mayo lacked testing to back up the claim on its And Unilever said that Just Mayo failed to meet the Michele Simon, a lawyer who blogs about food issues and policy at In an interview with the online news service Food Navigator, Josh Tetrick, Hampton Creek’s founder, noted that the company refers to its product as “mayo,” not mayonnaise. Unilever wants Hampton Creek, a private company that does not disclose its financial statements, to pay three times its profit in damages plus the legal fees of the plaintiff, a $60 billion company. It also is asking the court to require Hampton Creek to stop using the egg on its label; recall all products, ads and promotional materials that might confuse consumers; and stop claiming that Just Mayo is superior to Hellmann’s or Best Foods. Andrew Zimmern, a television chef who is a fan of Just Mayo, started a