HELLMANN’S MAYONNAISE — FAR FROM HOMEMADE™

RAPID REVIEW

Updated April 2026

Unilever's Hellmann’s/Best Foods Mayonnaise (different names on East/West coast, but the same product) is the #1 mayonnaise brand in the U.S. (Source: Statista 2026)

Sources for ingredients: Unilever Hellmann’s and Best Foods Web sites 4/26

HELLMANN’S MAYONNAISE IS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT IT WAS DECADES AGO. Hellmann’s used to contain five ingredients and now it is banned at Whole Foods and contains 10 ingredients including several not in the original version >> Soybean Oil, Water, Sugar, Calcium Disodium Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid and Natural Flavors.

Seen below, LIGHT VERSIONS OF PRODUCTS TEND TO CONTAIN MORE INGREDIENTS NOT IN OUR HOME KITCHENS. In order to compensate for missing or reduced amounts of certain ingredients, Light products are a result of food science and so generally contain more ingredients we would never use at home.

Shown below, HELLMANN’S WITH OLIVE OIL MAYONNAISE: Consumers may erroneously think this mayonnaise contains only Olive Oil, but it also contains Canola Oil and Soybean Oil. Water is the primary ingredient.

CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE: The Mayonnaises certified as Closest To Homemade have no added Sweeteners (except one with added Organic Honey), Colors, Flavors, Gums, Soybean Oil, Canola Oil or Chemical Preservatives. (Sources for ingredients: Brand Web sites 4/26)

*Neither money nor products are ever accepted to appear on the Closest To Homemade list*

AVOCADO OIL MAYONNAISE

A July 2026 study from UC Davis noted that many Avocado Oil Mayonnaises may not be made solely with avocado oil so we have deleted them from our Closest To Homemade list.

From the study: “ . . . we identified substantial differences between labeled oil claims and measured oil composition, particularly among avocado oil–labeled products.”

Here is the full report on Science Direct:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772502226007274

Discover more food + beverages whose ingredients are Closest To Homemade in 300+ categories. Neither money nor products are ever accepted to appear on the Closest To Homemade list.

Closest To Homemade Master List

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