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Foodies have reacted explosively to the news that one of America’s hallmark dishes is being removed off South African shelves. Hellmann’s Original Mayonnaise, which enjoys cult status in cities such as Johannesburg due to its velvety texture, will no longer be marketed there.
It is evident that this American product is much more to many South Africans than just a salad dressing or fry topping.
Social media has skyrocketed in popularity. Tweets varied from “What fresh hell is this?” and “this will change everything” to “We are in the very last days,” “I’m mortified,” and “this is now personal.”
“It’s the best, what are we going to do, where am I going to get my fix, where am I going to get that taste?,” one frustrated customer, faced with bare shelves in her neighborhood grocery, told Fox News Digital.
The controversy began when Unilever, which represents and imports Hellmann’s in South Africa, tweeted: “It’s sad to say goodbye to exquisite Hellmann’s Mayonnaise. We will discontinue Hellman’s in South Africa due to rising import costs caused by inflation.
The manager of one Spar store with no stock of the mayonnaise, who would not provide his name because he is not permitted to speak to media, told Fox News Digital: “We can’t get Hellmann’s from our central warehouse anymore. It’s odd, because it’s been selling well, but there are locally manufactured alternatives.”
A simple check of retailers’ online sites shows Hellman’s has generally been priced at around a third higher than local brands of mayonnaise.
Hellmann’s has been sold out in the majority of Johannesburg’s supermarket stores. When Fox News Digital visited the Checkers supermarket in the downtown Emmerentia neighborhood of Johannesburg, only a few jars were left on a solitary shelf — but they were going fast, with one consumer observed stealing four jars.
It has been stated that mayonnaise is just another casualty of Russia’s conflict with Ukraine. According to analysts, Hellman’s is brought to South Africa from the United States via a lengthy sea voyage, and the cost of oil burned by container ships transporting it has risen considerably since the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict.
Nonetheless, some believe there may be a glimmer of hope, particularly if oil prices decline. In their media announcement, Hellmann’s does not indicate that this is the end of the line; rather, they state that the product will be discontinued “until further notice.”