Rumors of a popular condiment being discontinued worldwide sent some sandwich lovers into a tailspin in late January.
VERIFY reader Nicolas also shared a screenshot that claims to show a post from Hellmann’s about the discontinuation of its mayo.
“It’s hard to say goodbye to delicious Hellmann’s Mayonnaise,” the post reads. “But, due to high inflationary import costs, we will regretfully be discontinuing Hellmann’s until further notice. A big thanks to our loyal fans for all the mayo love over the years.”
Susan also asked VERIFY if the claims about Hellmann’s mayonnaise being discontinued are true.
THE QUESTION
Is Hellmann’s mayonnaise being discontinued worldwide?
THE SOURCES
- Tara Loveland, spokesperson for Hellmann’s
- Post on the Hellmann’s South Africa Instagram account
- Walmart
THE ANSWER
No, Hellmann’s mayonnaise is not being discontinued worldwide. But Hellmann’s is discontinuing the product in South Africa.
WHAT WE FOUND
Hellmann’s put the mayonnaise rumors to rest in a tweet on Wednesday, Feb. 1.
“Mayo fam, fear not… Hellmann’s mayo is widely available in the U.S. and elsewhere around the world, just sadly not in South Africa until further notice,” Hellmann’s wrote. “That means there’s still time to stock up before your Big Game party next Sunday!”
Tara Loveland, a spokesperson for the brand, also confirmed in an email that “there’s no change to Hellmann’s mayo in the U.S. and Canada.” This also goes for Best Foods, which is the brand name for Hellmann’s mayonnaise sold on the West Coast.
VERIFY also reached out to major grocery store chains. A spokesperson for Walmart said its stores continue to sell Hellmann’s mayonnaise.
It’s unclear exactly where the social media post that led to the confusion came from, but it appears to have been posted by one of the brand’s South Africa pages.
An edited post on the Hellmann's Instagram page for South Africa almost matches the screenshot that Nicolas sent to VERIFY. But the Instagram post currently specifies that the discontinuation only applies to South Africa.
“It’s hard to say goodbye to delicious Hellmann’s Mayonnaise,” the post says. But, due to high inflationary import costs, we will regretfully be discontinuing Hellmann’s in South Africa until further notice.”
The Facebook page for Hellmann’s in South Africa is no longer available.
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