Overview
- An interim study commissioned by Hellmann's and led at Northumbria University, released Friday, concludes mayonnaise can be played as an instrument when used to make controlled sound.
- The team applied organology, the field that defines instruments by how they produce sound, and used the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies by what vibrates to create the sound.
- Tests showed mayo produces consistent, measurable sounds tied to its emulsion structure, and that playing it changes the substance itself, a feedback trait common to instruments.
- To show the findings, creator Andy Arthur Smith released a track built entirely from mayo sounds, which is now streaming and drawing strong social reactions.
- The project turns a long‑running SpongeBob meme into a brand‑led research effort, and a fuller Northumbria report is expected soon, placing mayo among other once‑unusual sound sources in music history.