Mrs. Dash Is Changing Her Name, Dropping the 'Mrs.'

The traditional gift for couples who make it to their 40th wedding anniversary is the ruby, possibly because the stone has long signified passion, wealth, and protection. Regardless of what it means, Mrs. Dash may not be eyeballing ruby earrings or deep red pendants because, after 37 years of being the most famous Mrs. in everyone's spice cabinet, she's apparently going solo.

According to parent company B&G Foods, the salt-free seasoning is about to be known only as… Dash. "For 30+ years, the Mrs. Dash brand has been a trusted salt-free seasoning staple in American homes and we're thrilled to roll out the new Dash branding and products as well as a partnership with Joy Bauer, one of the most trusted and sought-after health experts in the country," Julie Gould, Marketing Director of B&G Foods, said in a statement.

The company didn't explain why Mrs. Dash is dropping those three little letters—maybe that's between her and Mr. Dash—but the newly shortened name is supposed to signify how quickly one can use the two dozen different Dash seasonings, mixes, and marinades to spice up their meals.

The brand's logo will be rechanged to reflect the new Dash-only name, although it seems like Mrs. Dash got to keep her website in the divorce: you can still go to Mrs. Dash-dot-com to get breaking news about its Caribbean Citrus blend or whatever. In addition to that, the company will soon launch its new Everything but the Salt seasoning, which is a salt-free (and Trader Joe's adjacent) way to capture the flavor of an everything bagel. (Could that be the reason why the Dashes split? Because Mrs. Dash wanted to expand the family, but Mr. Dash didn't? I need the E! True Hollywood Story on this couple immediately.)

All the jokes aside, there's no real-life Mrs. Dash. The seasoning was developed in the early 1980s by Carol Bernick, who was then a marketing executive at consumer goods company Alberto-Culver. The brand's origin story is a simple one: according to a cached version of the 'About Us' section on the Mrs. Dash website, Bernick just wanted a simple, salt-free way to season the meals she cooked for her family. She collaborated with a number of spice suppliers until they had the right combination of flavors, bottled it, and gave it the Mrs. Dash name.

In 1987, Bernick also helped to develop Molly McButter, the butter-replacement seasoning that you may or may not have forgotten about. "'When we promote a brand, we want consumers to really remember our product," she told the Chicago Tribune shortly after its launch. (Molly McButter has either never married or she just chooses to sell replacement butter under her maiden name).

Bernick knew what she was doing when it came to branding. Everyone knows the name Mrs. Dash, and we'd guess that everyone will still refer to it as Mrs. Dash, no matter what's printed on the new labels. It's just that now, no one has to feel bad if they forget her anniversary.