Hellman’s Class Action Alleges Mayo Dressing Label Overstates Olive Oil Content

Hellmann’s Mayonnaise Dressing Class Action Lawsuit Overview:

• Who: Plaintiff Laura Hite filed a class action lawsuit against Unilever United States Inc.
• Why: Hite alleges its Hellman’s Mayonnaise Dressing product label overstates the amount of olive oil it contains
• Where: The Hellmann’s class action lawsuit was filed in New York federal court.

Unilever United States Inc. is facing a class action lawsuit alleging its Hellman’s brand mayonnaise dressing misrepresents that it is made “With Olive Oil,” when the actual olive oil content is allegedly minimal.

Plaintiff Laura Hite says consumer demand for mayonnaise has been on the decline for two decades. She points to a few potential factors for the decline in sales, including its reputation as an unhealthy ultra-processed food and the availability of a wide variety of alternative condiments available in supermarkets today.

Condiments such as guacamole, hummus, kimchi, salsa and wasabi “are typically served fresh, contain healthy ingredients and appeal to consumers seeking to avoid heavily processed foods,” the Hellmann’s class action lawsuit says.

Hellmann’s Class Action Cites Growing Consumer Demand for Products Containing Olive Oil

Unlike most vegetable oils, which are highly processed using chemicals, olive oil is made without additives or harsh processing, according to the Hellmann’s mayonnaise class action lawsuit. Olive oil also has heart-healthy fats, antioxidants and oleic acid, which have health benefits.

Sales of olive oil currently exceed the sales of all other vegetable oils combined, Hite says in the Hellmann’s class action lawsuit.

Hite alleges Unilever markets its Hellmann’s Mayonnaise Dressing to the growing number of consumers seeking to consume foods that contain healthier ingredients like olive oil.

The Hellmann’s Mayonnaise Dressing label prominently states that the product is made “With Olive Oil” and includes pictures of two olives on a branch with leaves, the class action lawsuit points out. However, the ingredients list shows that the most predominant oil in the product is soybean oil.

The Hellmann’s mayonnaise class action lawsuit says the amount of olive oil contained in the Hellmann’s mayonnaise product is “insufficient to confer any of the health benefits associated with olive oil.”

Hellmann’s Mayonnaise Class Action Says Olive Oil Content Misrepresentation Constitutes Fraud

Hite says she purchased the Hellmann’s Mayonnaise Dressing With Olive Oil product because she believed it was made predominantly with olive oil based on the label’s representations. Had she known the product was misleadingly labeled as having olive oil as a predominant ingredient, she says she would not have purchased the product or would have paid less for it.

She alleges Unilever has capitalized on Hellmann’s brand reputation as the “gold standard for mayonnaise” and its reputation for quality and value in order to entice consumers to purchase the allegedly mislabeled mayonnaise product.

The Hellmann’s Mayonnaise Dressing With Olive Oil class action lawsuit asserts claims for breach of contract, violations of state consumer fraud acts, breaches of express warranty and the implied warranty of merchantability, negligent misrepresentation, fraud and unjust enrichment.

Have you purchased Hellmann’s Mayonnaise Dressing With Olive Oil? Does this class action lawsuit influence your decision to purchase the product in the future? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Hite is represented by Spencer Sheehan of Sheehan & Associates PC.

The Hellmann’s Mayonnaise Dressing Class Action Lawsuit is Laura Hite v. Unilever United States Inc., Case No. 7:22-cv-02188, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, White Plains.

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