Has hellmans changed the recipe?
Posted by Dry_Special_6275@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 86 comments
Hi everyone, I’m a big mayo fan. I go through a jar a week roughly, I have it with everything. The past couple of jars I’ve had tasted weird and unpleasant so I switched and tried the squeeze bottle and then the full fat version as I usually get the lighter one. Anyway all of them had an unpleasant taste and smell, like a really vinegary egg. Obviously I know that two of the ingredients are vinegar and egg but I’ve never experienced this problem before. Even the colour was off and instead of being white it was more a cream/yellowy colour, the consistency was different aswell. Just wondering if anyone else has noticed a change?
If this is a persistant problem then I’m open to mayo recommendations, not Heinz though.
Shot-Bet-3963@reddit
Highly likely yeah. Loads of things are changing their recipe or ingredients. Slippy peanut butter is now creamy and not smooth and it is absolutely disgusting now. There was something else aswell last week but ill have to ask the mrs what that was
Etheria_system@reddit
I like the M&S own brand peanut butter - definitely worth trying. One of my favourites
Shot-Bet-3963@reddit
I'll have to go past and grab some and try it, I literally can not find a nice one since I 1 I was getting changed
Etheria_system@reddit
It looks like this. Nice and smooth, not too dry or claggy, a bit of sweetness and a bit of saltiness
Shot-Bet-3963@reddit
Stoppp it
Princes_Slayer@reddit
Time to switch to Polish mayo. Far superior to Hellmans, and more affordable than Kewpie
Snoo_90612@reddit
As a huge mayo fan discovering Polish mayo was a game changer.
Of the 2 big brands I prefer Winiary over kielecki, just be careful telling Polish friends which you prefer. I think the country must have had some sort of civil war about which mayo brand is better at some point 🤣
tjdracz@reddit
As a Polish person in the UK, I had people at the till guessing where in Poland I’m from based on my choice of mayo. Pretty sure you can carve a map of Poland along the mayo preference lines 😂
(Kielecki gang represents though, I respect your choice 😅)
mark364i@reddit
Do you guys do a good light mayo? I love mayo but can't have the full fat when its like 700cals per 100g.
tjdracz@reddit
Had Kielecki light before and it was OK. Then again, that and Winiary Light are both nearly double the calories of something like Hellmans Light
Forgetmyglasses@reddit
This is my problem with mayo. It has so many calories for such a little amount.
snakeoildriller@reddit
Interesting .. do the Poles have their own equivalent of Marmite?
Princes_Slayer@reddit
I’ve only bought Kielecki so far and love it, but my Polish SIL prefers Winiary so that’ll be my next try
Dry_Special_6275@reddit (OP)
I’ve heard good things about polish mayo, I did try kewpie mayo but it was a bit too salad cream tasting for me. I’ll pick up some polish mayo next time I’m shopping
pat-and-cat@reddit
My British male partner swears by the Polish Hellman’s Majonez Babuni (grandmas mayo). Every time we’re in the Polish shop he stocks up. It’s a bit harder to find but totally worth it!
Princes_Slayer@reddit
I’d describe Kewpie as ‘mayo with a hint of salad cream’. I liked that about it but I’d rather have the two brands and make a mix for the times I like it (mostly with tuna). But the Polish stuff is so rich in flavour. I find Hellmans is just bland oily gloop nowadays
ldn-ldn@reddit
Switch to Polish (or other European product) is the answer to all foods.
Wallygonk@reddit
Watch this and it might change what mayo you buy ever again 5 mayo brands to avoid and why
PipBin@reddit
I recommend Stokes. Lovely mayonnaise.
https://www.stokessauces.co.uk/shop/mayonnaise-dressings/real-mayonnaise/
WildCulture8318@reddit
Thanks do you like their brown sauce ? I am a big fan of HP Fruity
Graff101@reddit
Stokes for everything. Good quality sauces, made in the UK. HP sauce is no longer made in the UK which is a shame.
kylehyde84@reddit
Same for the tomato sauce
PipBin@reddit
And pickle!
Dry_Special_6275@reddit (OP)
Can you buy this in supermarkets?
PipBin@reddit
You can. It’s made locally to me so you can buy it everywhere here but I think Waitrose and Sainsbury’s stock it.
cuppachar@reddit
Proper mayonnaise is yellow.
kool_kats_rule@reddit
You could contact them and ask?
https://www.hellmanns.com/uk/contact-us.html
Dry_Special_6275@reddit (OP)
Oo thanks, I’ve just sent them an email
bindmedown2@reddit
A jar a week? Do we need to stage an intervention?
Dry_Special_6275@reddit (OP)
😂😂😂😂
turboRock@reddit
Since I discovered the stick blender method, I just make it myself. Super easy. But also, buy the Polish stuff if you don't want the faff
James_White21@reddit
Maybe one of the connoisseurs here could answer this - I've seen Hellmans 'Mayo' which nowhere on the label says the word mayonnaise, next to the usual Hellmans mayonnaise. Is this a new product, a rebrand of the old one or something else?
Etheria_system@reddit
Is it the vegan one?
James_White21@reddit
Ah that could be it. I bought one by mistake and it was pretty manky. I need to look more closely at the ingredients. So pleased to find a community of like minded mayonnaise enthusiasts.
wakou2@reddit
Do these "better" ones last as long? I have always been amazed that a product made from raw egg can last "forever" in the fridge!
KerryKinkajou@reddit
I swear by Heinz Seriously Good tbh, much prefer it to Hellmans mayo. It doesn't have any kind of vinegar/eggy taste & they do a light version that's still really nice. I've never tried their normal mayo but the Seriously Good one is 10/10.
Cleganebowl2k16@reddit
A jar a week is crazy work! That’s nearly 3000 calories in condiments (roughly 1.5 x days worth of calories alone)
clickme1234@reddit
Give making mayo a go, it's incredibly easy and quite fun with an immersion blender or food processor. You can play with the ratios to get your perfect taste and texture, plus less UPF in your diet. Good base recipe:
Will be good in your fridge for at least 2 weeks but you'll have eaten it all by then!
welder8uk@reddit
There seems to be two types of hellmans on the market, I bought on thinking it was just normal Hellman’s and it was terrible. Think it was marked up as ‘new recipe’ or ‘special recipe’ or something like that. The original one is still available and you just need to check the label on the front of the bottle/ jar.
periperigandy@reddit
My wife and daughter are also big mayo fans (also exclusively Hellmann's). They're certain it's changed - described as more watery/less structure/just doesn't taste right. It could be a batch production issue, but cynically I doubt it
Dry_Special_6275@reddit (OP)
Glad I’m not the only one who’s noticed. I hope it’s a batch issue but I’ve tried the jar, the bottle, both normal and lighter, also purchased from different supermarkets and it’s been the same issue
Kittygrizzle1@reddit
They’ll have changed the receipe to make it cheaper.
I had the same thing with Sainsbury soft cheese. Turned from semi solid to almost liquid. I stopped buying it.
OsitaHunter5168@reddit
Have you tried the plant based version? Might sound mad but the texture is great and is less vinegary and eggy than the classic (as a hellmans fan myself).
Dry_Special_6275@reddit (OP)
I haven’t actually, I’ll get some next time I’m shopping with polish mayo and another one someone suggested and I’ll have a mayo taste test 😂
tinned_spaghetti@reddit
I would suggest not getting the 'seriously good' vegan version, and just stick with the regular vegan one. I bought the latter and it was nowhere near as good! I wish I could get a vegan polish mayo!
rumblestripper@reddit
I'm not veggie or vegan and I switched to the plant-based version last year and much prefer it to the point I wouldn't go back to 'normal' mayo now. At first I found the taste a little more vinegary but it seems thicker and creamier, and if you stir it into something e.g. pasta, it doesn't just disappear like regular mayo.
Kitchen-Safe7567@reddit
yep, runnier- but only from a squeezy bottle. jar stuff fine. they are pushing the bottle stuff by making it significantly cheaper than the jar option.
ThePodd222@reddit
With that level of consumption you're more qualified than anyone else to know if it's changed! Sounds like another victim of a changed recipe, and it's always for the worse 🙈
bozleeds@reddit
People shouting the kewpie which version of kewpie are you tasting. I've tried them and the only answer is the made in Japan version. The European one and Thai versions are good but the Japanese one hits different.
If you read the label on the back it tells you where it is made. I can only find it in the Chinese supermarket and it's a bit spendy but worth it.
Remote-Plantain9925@reddit
Dukes mayo is amazing
Etheria_system@reddit
It’s also American so not really relevant
Remote-Plantain9925@reddit
You can still order it online :)
Etheria_system@reddit
I know they’ve introduced a “great value” range which seems to be made from much cheaper ingredients - the light version even has wheat added to it.
Personally I buy the jars and I haven’t had any issues but you’re not the first person I’ve seen say they’ve noticed a difference
SignalButterscotch73@reddit
This will sound like blasphemy but Hellmans vegan/plant based mayo tastes better than their actual mayo nowadays.
Also add another shout out to Stokes, their Bloody Mary Ketchup is awesome 👌
rwinh@reddit
More often than not, Polish mayo or store brand sauces are better than the big brands, who add sugar or unnecessary ingredients to water down the sauce but still charge a premium for them.
If your want more authentic mayo without making it yourself, try these (I have Belgian friends and family - their blood is pretty much mayo with beer):
Winiary and/or Kielecki (Polish mayo found in most big supermarkets)
Lidl - Batts Mayonnaise Aldi - Bramwells Mayonnaise Waitrose Mayonnaise with Olive Oil (similar to Bertolli mayo found in Belgium) Waitrose Essentials Mayonnaise
Just avoid the real budget mayonnaises, like Tesco Stockwell's which was more like cake icing. I'm pretty sure you could make a really nice cake with it as it was filled with sugar.
But regardless of the above. Shop around and try different sauces. Big brands do not deserve loyalty, and you do not owe them it as they do not reciprocate it, given they change recipes to cheapen their products all the time.
jilljd38@reddit
My last bottle of hellmans I threw away due to the colour etc I thought it had gone funky threw it the day I bought it
hoodie92@reddit
If you go through that much mayo, just make it yourself. It's incredibly cheap and takes about 1 minute. Plus you can tweak the recipe however you like.
carolomnipresence@reddit
Pay half the price for a better product at Lidl, 'Batts', or make your own.
Tonythepillow@reddit
Semi inquisitive question (if not a real suggestion) Have you tried making it yourself? It’s not the most simple thing but as you get through loads of it the fact that homemade stuff doesn’t tend to last as long due to lack of preservatives shouldn’t be an issue.
Dry_Special_6275@reddit (OP)
I tried once because of a video I saw on TikTok but it didn’t do what it was supposed to do, it just didn’t mix into mayo 😂 maybe I used the wrong oil or something. I’ll give it another try
turbo_dude@reddit
Because you didn’t add the oil very slowly so the emulsification did not work.
Source: did the same thing
True-Abalone-3380@reddit
I keep wanting to try making it as we've a blender and it looks fairly straightforward. However, it's another 5 minutes work on top of what I'm already doing plus more things for the dishwasher compared to just spooning from a jar.
L1amalicker@reddit
Thank you for making me feel normal about consuming a full jar of mayo a week
ProperDustySombrero@reddit
Yes it has. I have a bottle that says it's got a all new recipe
TheLightStalker@reddit
They manufacture two types. You might not have noticed. One is "Hellman's Real Mayonnaise" and the plastic bottle one is just "Hellman's Mayonnaise".
Which one do you have?
Dazpiece@reddit
As a big mayo fan (but definitely not a connoisseur), I find Heinz mayo has long been way better than Hellmans
k0n3kt@reddit
Helmans is just full of nasty oils glooped up and flavoured. I think about 7% egg. I stopped buying a while back and instead buy M&S 4 ingredient mayo. Tastes like mayo used to taste 😋
hhfugrr3@reddit
The Dutchy Original one is the best IMHO.
hp17nw@reddit
I used to only eat hellmans but there are much better mayos out there, agree with whoever said stokes. Even Heinz is better than hellmans now. Need to try some polish mayo!
Acrobatic_Volume_344@reddit
For supermarkey mayo i prefer Morrisons ones now over Hellmans/Heinz
MonkeyBoy697@reddit
I’d say almost certainly going off nothing but vibes and guesses to be honest 😂
The cost of Eggs in particular has skyrocketed, and the price of Oils have increased too (Olive Oil being the obvious one but so has Sunflower Oil and Vegetable Oil), so I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they’ve adjusted the recipe in order to keep their costs down
TanjoCards@reddit
"As of March 31, 2026, Unilever has announced an agreement to combine its Foods business including major brands like Knorr and Hellmann's-with McCormick & Company to create a $20 billion global flavor powerhouse."
There has been some changes so it might not be just vibes.
Dry_Special_6275@reddit (OP)
Hmm that could be it, cutting costs so the quality has gone down
LittleSadRufus@reddit
If this is only just occuring to you, I have bad news about the majority of items sold for human consumption in the supermarkets right now.
SHalls17@reddit
Unilever who produce hellmans have recently sold the food side of the business to American company McCormicks, would be surprised if any major changes yet as this only happened one month ago.
Serberou5@reddit
So no more eggs in it but plenty of corn oil then.
kylehyde84@reddit
Only a matter of time
GrumpChorlton@reddit
You aren’t developing dysgeusia, are you?
Dry_Special_6275@reddit (OP)
I’ve just googled it and I bloody hope not 😂 mayo is the only thing I’ve noticed that’s tasted different
GoldenHour_Muse@reddit
I agree i think something has changed
Purple_Quantity_7392@reddit
Gosh, I hope they haven’t changed it. I recently bought 4 jars on a deal. The price had shot up by £1 a jar, literally overnight. So I got 4 for the price of 3. I haven’t opened one yet….
Dry_Special_6275@reddit (OP)
Please let me know when you’ve tried it, I’m hoping I’ve just bought a couple of bad jars 😂
PerkeNdencen@reddit
I haven't had any Hellnman's for a bit but you may be onto something. When I moved to the US years ago, I didn't get on with the mayo at all and had to just stop eating it. It was quite similar to how you describe but also with an unfamiliar texture as well (very, very greasy). Maybe they changed to their US recipe? Commiserations if so. I get the off-brand one from ALDI. Seems fine so far.
Dry_Special_6275@reddit (OP)
I’m in the uk but maybe they’ve changed the recipe worldwide? I’ll give the one from Aldi a try
PerkeNdencen@reddit
Sorry, I'll clarify. I've since moved back to the UK - but what you describe and what I experienced in the US are similar enough that I think they may have changed the UK recipe to the US one. But yes, do, it's pretty good, I think.
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