Hampton Creek, the popular tech-food startup that makes eggless Just Mayo, is experiencing a PR crisis.The company, which aims to replace animal products in food with more sustainable plant ones, has recently been accused of buying its own products to boost its sales numbers. Following the negative coverage, the company’s entire board stepped down last month with little explanation. And just days ago, Target decided to stop selling its products, despite the company being cleared after a food safety scare.But are Hampton Creek’s struggles a classic case of Silicon Valley overreach or just the usual chaos of an ambitious startup?VICE News met with Hampton Creek CEO Josh Tetrick to see how the company is responding to these accusations and learn how he’s still planning to take over the food industry.
This segment originally aired Aug. 10, 2017, on VICE News Tonight on HBO.