



Bolthouse Farms, the innovation arm of Campbell Soup, announced last week it will be making a line of egg-free mayo spreads called “MAIO”. The new formulation will be available in three flavors – Plain, Chipotle, and Garlic – at Northern California Safeway grocery stores, for $2.99 per bottle.





Though the product is egg-free, it's yogurt – and not plant – based.





(Baby steps).





MAIO, which has one-tenth of the fat of traditional mayonnaise, is designed to attract health-conscious consumers – illustrating a key motivation for producers to shift away from animal-based foods. Indeed, MAIO is entering a vibrant market: Hellmann’s certified-plant-based mayo alternatives were introduced last year, and Hampton Creek’s Just Mayo has been making headlines as a national success since it hit the market in 2013.





[Check out our behind-the-scenes look at Hampton Creek’s new headquarters]





So why all the focus on mayonnaise these days? Contrary to popular belief, ketchup isn’t the most popular condiment. Mayonnaise takes the prize by a long shot. According to Quartz , Americans consume $2 billion worth of mayo each year, with ketchup ringing in a mere $800 million. So it makes sense that both good food companies and food industry giants are zeroing in on mayonnaise as a massive market opportunity and a massive opportunity to do good.





The success of eggless, plant-based mayo signals better times ahead – for the environment, our health, animal welfare, and the overall economy.





Curious about how markets and tech are changing the food system from the inside out? Learn more about The Good Food Institute’s efforts and how you can get involved

The egg-free mayo market has a new entrant.