Mrs. Dash, who never existed, has possibly divorced

Sometimes after nearly 40 years, a brand’s relationship to its parent company can grow a little stale, and changes must be made. B&G Foods, producer of the famous Mrs. Dash line of salt-free seasoning blends, announced via press release that it is rebranding the product to “Dash,” dropping the “Mrs.” from its name.

“The Dash line of salt-free seasonings will continue to allow consumers to elevate their cooking quickly and simply – in a dash,” said marketing director Julie Gould (italics B&G’s).

Lest this be considered any sort of erasure of the woman behind the seasoning blend, Food And Wine points out that there never really was a Mrs. Dash. She was an invention of marketing executive Carol Bernick, who first developed the product as a salt-free alternative to use in her family’s meals. Notably, Bernick also helped to bring to life Molly McButter, the butter-flavored sprinkle for homemade popcorn that coated my entire childhood and probably still lines my stomach to this day.

Does Mrs. Dash, like Molly McButter, have a first name? We could always swap “Mrs.” for that. Something snappy, spicy, and modern, but still evocative of the speed and convenience that B&G hopes to convey. Mad(die) Dash? We’ll keep brainstorming.

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