The maker of a vegan mayonnaise, Hampton Creek, accused three top employees of planning a coup and fired them. The company said the employees — two vice presidents and the chief technology officer — intended to change the governance structure of the Silicon Valley company so that new investors would have a greater voice in company operations.
Chief executive Josh Tetrick told The Guardian that the change in company structure might mean Hampton Creek could “feel pressured” to accept a buyout offer or to put new products on the market that did not align with its ideals. Hampton Creek was founded in 2011 to offer plant-based alternatives to foods traditionally made with eggs. The company’s goal is to help reduce the carbon footprint of the food industry.
“The firings are the latest in a series of issues for Hampton Creek,” said The Guardian. It is the most successful of a wave of tech-based food companies but also one of the most controversial. It was the object of a campaign by the egg industry to block it from using “mayo” in its product’s name because mayonnaise traditionally is made with eggs. Three of its top-level executives left recently and the company was investigated for allegedly buying its own products in grocery stores to drive up sales.