Kraft Is Discontinuing Its Fat-Free Mayo Whether You Like It Or Not
In news that will upset next to no one, Kraft has discontinued its fat-free mayonnaise. Followers of the company's mayo-centric Twitter account woke up to a post this morning featuring a picture that attempted humor. Namely, it set up the announcement as a — grits teeth — "mayo culpa" text message. "I'm officially done selling fat-free mayo," they stated. "I mean it, I'm done."
Evidently, they thought so little of the product that they have not bothered to follow up with any official announcement. In response to an inquiring email sent by The Takeout, the company explained, "Kraft Mayo is the only mayo we need. It's delicious, it's velvety smooth. It's everything mayo should be and unfortunately fat free mayo wasn't." In short, the product was not that good, so Kraft opted to stick with the mayonnaise that sells. Of course, some do miss the mayo, as one Twitter user ho-hummed: "I'll buy Hellmann's low fat instead and just have less. Enjoy the loss of sales, brand." So, there is one solution for those few who may feel aggrieved.
The reason why fat-free rarely works
Fat-free usually means disappointment. "Non-fat versions of those things absolutely do not work," the main comment to The Takeout's piece notes from their experience. "Taste and texture is not adequate." Low-fat can work, provided that the low-fat food is not the featured ingredient. The problem is that, as a species, the fats found in butter and mayonnaise speak to us on a primal level. That's the reason why one of Anthony Bourdain's biggest revelations to Oprah Winfrey's audience was that restaurant chefs begin with butter and end with butter (via YouTube).
The issue goes further, as NPR reported in a piece about why society gained more weight during the fat-free boom than it did beforehand. Companies still want their food to be palatable to a public that likes fats. Thus, they introduce sugar, sodium, and carbs as a new means to captivate people who began to believe that fat was bad but carbs were good. Of course, it is a matter of moderation and sourcing your nutrition well. If you want a healthier alternative to Kraft's mayo, you would be better off making small amounts at home as an occasional treat. That way you can have the simple ingredients with an introduction of slightly better fat at a cheaper price.