Sometimes a good product gets discontinued and it’s a shame when that happens. You might have heard rumors that Trader Joe’s mayonnaise has been discontinued but Is this really fact or fiction?
It was reported in late February of 2022 that corporate decided to discontinue Trader Joe’s real mayonnaise due to production cost rises in making the productions. Unfortunately, with the rising costs of canola oil it could no longer be produced at the discount price that customers had grown accustomed to and as such, it was discontinued nationally.
While it’s definitely not good news, in today’s article we’ll explain the issue in a little more detail, to shed some light on what happened with the Trader Joe’s Real Mayonnaise and advise you of some alternatives and even a recipe that you can use at home for some excellent mayonnaise. Without further ado, let’s get started!
Discontinuation of Trader Joe’s Real Mayonnaise
While it’s unfortunate that this product was discontinued, this sort of thing doesn’t happen out of the blue. There were some definite business factors that led to this outcome, so let’s look at those to give you a better idea of the big picture.
Explanation of the Discontinuation
As of mid-February 2022, Canola oil entered a phase that some vegetable oils do, where there was a solid increase in non-food uses. When this happens, the price of that particular vegetable oil can skyrocket and this definitely happened with Canola oil.
Within a 1-year period, the cost of Canola oil went up a solid 30% and this had a heavy impact on many markets, Trader Joe’s included.
Impact of the Discontinuation on Customers
Many customers were unhappy with the discontinuation of this product but as the price increase would have been prohibitive it is unlikely that retaining the product would have been well-received.
Possible Reasons for the Discontinuation
Whenever a product is discontinued, it may occur for a number of reasons. We’ll explore the most common ones in the sections below.
Low Sales
If a product doesn’t sell, there’s really not much that you can do, and this is one of the top reasons why a new or legacy product will be discontinued.
It’s a buyer’s market, after all, although everyone has a new product that they wish might have stuck around longer.
Availability of Alternatives
When there are a lot of lower-cost alternatives that are ‘as-good’ or ‘good enough’, then this can have an impact on overall sales and a product may be discontinued for this reason.
Change in Recipe
Whenever a recipe is changed for a popular product, due to ingredients changing in cost or availability, then the ‘new version’ is sometimes not received as well as expected.
People don’t always like it when a familiar taste is changed and when this seems to be the case, then that product is quickly discontinued or evaluated again for the cost-effectiveness of restoring the original recipe.
Alternative Mayonnaise Options
There are always alternatives, although it takes a little sampling of them to find a flavor that you like. In this section, we’ll explore a few of these to give you a good idea of where to start if you would like to find them.
To check the current price and availability of Trader Joe’s Organic Mayonnaise, click here to view the listing on Amazon.
Other Grocery Stores
Local grocery stores, such Safeway or giants like Wal-Mart will typically offer numerous mayonnaise brands for you to sample and consider for a new staple. Thankfully, mayonnaise is an American staple, so you won’t have a shortage of choices.
Online Retailers
Instacart, Amazon, and even Wal Mart have online options for you to obtain the mayonnaise that you like and have it delivered to your home. One word to the wise – sometimes it’s best to buy vacuum-sealed pouches and simply empty them into a jar at home.
Oftentimes, jars of mayonnaise that are ordered online have been stored in the light for some time and when this happens, you might be in for a taste disappointment when you are making your next sandwich.
Homemade Mayonnaise Recipe
Delicious mayonnaise is actually something that you can make within minutes at home, it’s all a matter of knowing the steps that you need and a few easy ingredients. Here’s what you’ll want to gather up or purchase the next time you’re at the store:
- 1 egg (large)
- 1 clove of garlic (medium sized)
- 1 cup/240 ml of vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp of fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- A small dash of Kosher salt
Put your egg, mustard, and lemon juice in a small blender cup so that the blades can effectively reach the eggs for a thorough mix-up in the blender.
Stop blending and add in your garlic clove, along with your oil, and let it settle for about 15 seconds before turning the blender on high.
As it thickens, tilt it a little so that all of the oil is absorbed. Salt it up to taste and use right away or seal it in your fridge for later – congratulations, you’ve just made some amazing homemade mayonnaise!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Was Trader Joe’s Mayonnaise Discontinued?
Due to a price increase of approximately 330% over the 2021-2022 period, Trader Joe’s was no longer able to provide their delicious mayonnaise at the cost that it’s loyal customers have come to expect.
Do They Have Mayonnaise at Trader Joe’s?
Trader Joe’s Real Mayonnaise is no longer available at Trader Joe’s and as of writing this article, no alternative mayonnaise offerings have been launched to replace it.
While this may change in the future, in the meantime you will need to use alternative options or take advantage of the recipe we’ve provided today to make fresh mayonnaise at home.
Final Thoughts
In this article we’ve confirmed the rumor that Trader Koe’s Real Mayonnaise has officially been discontinued nationwide. While this is unfortunate, as mayonnaise is a staple product that you can easily get locally and online, you certainly have alternatives that can help you to get the yummy mayo you’ve been craving.
The discontinuation was due to a price spike in canola oil but who knows? If it should go down again dramatically in the future, maybe we’ll see Trader Joe’s Real Mayonnaise again. If not, however, then don’t worry – you’ve still definitely got options!
