Unilever Drops Mayonnaise Suit Against Startup Hampton Creek The case alleged false advertising and unfair competition related to its Just Mayo product.

By Reuters

entrepreneur daily

This story originally appeared on Reuters

Hampton Creek via Facebook

Unilever Plc's U.S. division said it has withdrawn its lawsuit against food startup Hampton Creek over false advertising and unfair competition related to its Just Mayo product.

Unilever, famous for its mayonnaise brand Hellmann's, had filed a suit against Hampton Creek earlier this year accusing the company of advertising Just Mayo, an eggless spread, as mayonnaise.

Unilever alleged that the spread could not be defined as mayonnaise under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's definition as it did not contain eggs.

Common dictionary definitions of mayonnaise similarly define mayonnaise as "a dressing made chiefly of egg yolks, vegetable oils, and vinegar or lemon juice," the company had said in its lawsuit.

The case gained national attention when a petition on Change.org gathered 112,000 supporters asking Unilever to "stop bullying sustainable food companies."

Neither company was immediately available for comment outside normal business hours.

(Reporting by Kanika Sikka in Bengaluru; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Side Hustle

This Gen Zer's Stylish Side Hustle Earns About $20,000 a Month and Paid Off His Parents' $200,000 Debt: 'I Enjoy the Hands-Off Nature'

Ray Cao went from working as a barista for $8 an hour to being a successful seller on online marketplace StockX.

Starting a Business

I Was a 25-Year-Old Nurse When I Started a Side Hustle to Combat Anxiety. It Made $1 Million in 7 Months — Then Sold for a Life-Changing Amount.

Sarah Michelle Boes knew there had to be a better way to prepare for her stress-inducing nurse practitioner's exam — so she created it.

Business News

Video Shows Neuralink's First Human Brain Chip Patient Playing Chess: 'It Has Already Changed My Life'

The company, which was founded by Elon Musk, wants to know who's next.