Mayonnaise is a condiment that is used to influence or enhance the flavor of many foods across the world. Traditionally oil, egg yolk and vinegar or lemon juices are used as the base ingredients in preparing mayonnaise, wherein the emulsifying properties of egg yolk stabilize the oil and water emulsion. Eggless mayonnaise is a variant to this traditional variety and uses emulsifying agents such as soy protein in the place of egg yolk.
The increasing popularity of eggless mayonnaise is a result of various factors primary of which is the dietary shift towards plant-based products away from animal-derived products. This shift is prominent in the developed regions and is an extension of the growing health consciousness among consumers.
The more healthy nature of the eggless mayo can be demonstrated by the fact that eggless mayonnaise contains approximately 19% lesser calories than normal mayonnaise. This reduction in calorie content is significant due to the increasing consumer focus on controlling lifestyle diseases and in weight management.
The other important factor that governs the market is the increasing number of vegans across the world. As per the surveys of the vegan society, the numbers of vegans in U.K. have increased by over 360% during the 2006-2016 period. This increase is not a random phenomenon but is complemented by increases across the world, with vegan-based products considered a mainstream trend in certain regions.
The eggless mayonnaise market also faces certain regulatory restrictions. These regulations are mainly centered over the legal definition of the word mayonnaise and inclusion of egg. For instance, FDA issued a warning letter to Hampton creek, which is a major eggless mayonnaise manufacturer, that its product cannot be called as mayonnaise since it does not contain egg. Despite the fact that the FDA later withdrew this restriction, the confusion over the terminology is a drawback for the market.
North America and Europe dominate the market due to the increasing demand for plant-based foods and a generally high consumption of mayonnaise. The market isn’t well established in Latin America despite the popularity of traditional mayonnaise in the region. The market is relatively minor in Asia Pacific but is expected to record rapid growth owing to increasing consumption, retail penetration, and urbanization. The other important aspect of the market is its popularity in certain regions such as India.
The rapid growth of eggless mayonnaise consumption in India is largely attributed to the large vegetarian population and various social and religious conventions of the country. It is estimated that over 80% of the mayonnaise sales in the country are occupied by eggless variety.
Some of the key players of the eggless mayonnaise products market include Hampton Creek, Trader Joe’s, Unilever (Hellmann’s), Remia, Dr. Oetker, Del Monte Foods, Inc., American Garden, Cremica Food Industries Ltd., etc.
