Misleading: Hellmann's mayonnaise will be discontinued globally due to high import costs.

Context

A Facebook post published on January 31, 2023, shared a screenshot of an announcement that appears to be posted from the account of Hellmann's Mayonnaise, which reads, "It's hard to say goodbye to delicious Hellmann's Mayonnaise. 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 all over the years." The post has received responses from people around the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and other countries in the comment section, who expressed their disappointment. 

Similar posts have also gone viral on Twitter, claiming that the product has been discontinued worldwide. One such post had a reply from a user who alleged, "The cost of eggs is the most likely culprit. But I think they still sell the plant-based mayo." 

However, the posts have misinterpreted the announcement and have incorrectly perceived that the product has been suspended worldwide.

In Fact 

Hellmann's is a popular brand that sells mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, sauce, salad dressing, condiments, and other food products. The company is owned by the British multinational company Unilever.

The screenshot of an announcement included in the viral posts was originally uploaded on Hellmanns' South Africa Facebook page, AP news reports, and it did not specify the country's name in its post. The post was later deleted. A few days later, on February 1, 2023, the Instagram page of the brand in South Africa posted the same announcement, and this time, the post specified that the product would be discontinued only in South Africa. The post read, "It's hard to say goodbye to delicious Hellmann's Mayonnaise. But, due to high inflationary import costs, we will regretfully be discontinuing Hellmann's in South Africa until further notice. A big thanks to our loyal fans for all the mayo love over the years."

Following the uncertainty, Hellmann's official Twitter account posted an update clarifying, "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. That means there's still time to stock up before your Big Game party next Sunday!"

Reuters quoted a Unilever spokesperson who confirmed that the pause on the sales of mayonnaise in South Africa was due to high raw material and shipping costs. The spokesperson stated, "Hellmann's is a very small brand in South Africa, which is why it's not produced locally."

Logically also got in touch with Hellmann's customer service, which affirmed that there's no change to the sale of Hellmann's mayo in the U.S., Canada, and other countries around the globe. The sales are currently only paused in South Africa due to high import costs. 

The Verdict

Social media posts have misconstrued that sales of Hellmann's mayonnaise will be suspended globally, while in reality, the product has been paused only in South Africa due to the high cost of importing ingredients from the U.S. The products are available in other countries as usual. Therefore, we have marked the claim as misleading.