One of the things stressing out the maker of Hellmann's mayonnaise was the faulty design of its squeeze bottle. That, and declining sales in the U.S.
If you eat mayo, you've likely confronted the minor frustration of not being able to get those last few dollops clinging to the bottle walls and out of reach at the bottom. The company calls this "a very serious problem in America right now," which sounds hyperbolic, even if Hellmann's went through the trouble to calculate that 1,000 pounds of its mayo were trapped in squeeze bottles last year, which is enough to make 32,000 turkey club sandwiches.
So Hellmann's recently launched a redesigned squeeze bottle for its mayonnaise that promises to reduce mayo waste by 60% compared to its previous bottle.
The redesigned squeeze bottle is part of efforts to reverse a recent slide in sales. Hellmann's mayo sales in the U.S. were down about 4.5 percent last year compared to 2012, according to data from research firm Euromonitor International.
The secret to the new bottle design is "a proprietary technology that uses a micro layer of just enough vegetable oil... to allow it to easily slide out of the bottle," the company said.
The bottle was remolded by packaging company Sidel "to eliminate any deep curves or grooves that could interrupt the flow of the mayonnaise or create pockets where it could get stuck" and the cap was updated by Ermo "to a silicone valve dispensing system" that apparently makes it easier to control the mayo flow.
"The number one complaint about our old bottles was that mayonnaise would stick to the inside," a spokesperson wrote in an email. "We're committed to continuing to provide quality products and positive experiences that keeps people coming back."
For those who don't like the squeeze, all Hellmann's will continue to offer its mayo in jars.