Whether Marie’s Caesar dressing contains anchovies is an important question for people with fish allergies or those who simply don’t enjoy the strong, salty flavor of anchovies. Unfortunately, the answer isn’t straightforward, as ingredients can vary between product lines and regions. In this article, we’ll examine the evidence to determine if Marie’s Caesar dressing contains anchovies.
Background on Caesar Dressing
Caesar dressing was invented in 1924 by an Italian chef named Caesar Cardini who owned restaurants in Mexico and the United States. The original Caesar salad did not contain anchovies, but instead featured romaine lettuce dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, egg, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and black pepper. Some food historians claim that Cardini later added anchovies to his dressing after moving to California and finding easier access to the fish.
The anchovy version became popular in the 1950s and 1960s as Caesar salad grew famous. Today, many commercial Caesar dressings contain anchovies or anchovy paste for a salty, umami flavor. However, true traditional Caesar dressing does not have fish.
Marie’s Brand History
Marie’s is an American brand of salad dressings, dips, marinades, and condiments owned by Kraft Heinz. The company started in San Francisco in the 1950s originally selling blue cheese dressing. Marie’s expanded over the decades to offer dozens of salad dressing varieties.
In 2010, Kraft Foods acquired Marie’s and made it part of the Kraft brand portfolio. Under Kraft, Marie’s dressing formulas changed, with some products reformulated to be gluten-free or lower in fat, sugar, and preservatives.
Marie’s makes several types of Caesar dressing. Let’s examine the ingredients lists to determine if anchovies are included.
Marie’s Regular Caesar Dressing
Marie’s regular or classic Caesar dressing lists the following ingredients:
Water, soybean oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, contains less than 2% of garlic, anchovy paste, egg yolk, mustard flour, Worcestershire sauce (distilled vinegar, molasses, water, salt, caramel color, garlic, sugar, spices, tamarind, natural flavor), cheese culture, phosphoric acid, xanthan gum, polysorbate 60, calcium disodium EDTA added to protect flavor, natural flavors, potassium sorbate and calcium disodium EDTA added as preservatives, vitamin E oil added as antioxidant, onion, citric acid. Contains: egg, fish (anchovy), milk, mustard, soy.
The 2nd ingredient in this regular Caesar dressing is anchovy paste, so it’s clear that Marie’s standard Caesar contains anchovies. Anyone with a fish allergy or sensitivity would need to avoid this version.
Marie’s Light Caesar Dressing
Marie’s also offers a light Caesar dressing with the following nutrition facts and ingredients:
| Nutrition Facts | Serving Size 2 tbsp (30g) | Servings Per Container 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Amount Per Serving | ||
| Calories 45 | ||
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 4.5g 7% | ||
| – Saturated Fat 0g 0% | ||
| – Trans Fat 0g | ||
| Cholesterol 0mg 0% | ||
| Sodium 150mg 7% | ||
| Total Carbohydrate 2g 1% | ||
| – Dietary Fiber 0g 0% | ||
| – Total Sugars 1g | ||
| – Includes 0g Added Sugars 0% | ||
| Protein 0g |
Ingredients: Water, soybean oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, contains less than 2% of garlic, egg yolk, mustard flour, Worcestershire sauce (distilled vinegar, molasses, water, salt, caramel color, garlic, sugar, spices, tamarind, natural flavor), cheese culture, xanthan gum, phosphoric acid, calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor), natural flavor, onion, potassium sorbate and calcium disodium EDTA (to preserve freshness), citric acid, vitamin E (antioxidant).
The ingredient list for Marie’s light Caesar dressing does not contain anchovies or anchovy paste. This is a fish-free Caesar dressing option for anyone avoiding seafood.
Marie’s Creamy Caesar Dressing
Marie’s creamy Caesar dressing has a richer texture and the following nutrition information:
| Nutrition Facts | Serving Size 2 tbsp (30g) | Servings Per Container 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Amount Per Serving | ||
| Calories 80 | ||
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 7g 11% | ||
| – Saturated Fat 1g 5% | ||
| – Trans Fat 0g | ||
| Cholesterol 5mg 2% | ||
| Sodium 180mg 8% | ||
| Total Carbohydrate 3g 1% | ||
| – Dietary Fiber 0g 0% | ||
| – Total Sugars 2g | ||
| – Includes 0g Added Sugars 0% | ||
| Protein 1g |
Ingredients: Soybean oil, water, vinegar, sugar, egg yolk, salt, contains less than 2% of: garlic, mustard flour, worcestershire sauce (distilled vinegar, molasses, water, salt, caramel color, garlic, sugar, spices, tamarind, natural flavor), cheese culture, xanthan gum, whey protein concentrate, phosphoric acid, calcium disodium edta added to protect flavor, natural flavor, onion juice, potassium sorbate and calcium disodium edta added to preserve freshness, vitamin e oil added as antioxidant, citric acid. Contains: Egg, milk.
Once again, anchovies are missing from the creamy version’s ingredient list. Marie’s creamy Caesar dressing provides a fish-free, anchovy-free Caesar flavor.
Marie’s Organic Caesar Dressing
For an organic option, Marie’s makes an organic Caesar dressing. The nutrition facts and ingredients are:
| Nutrition Facts | Serving Size 2 tbsp (30g) | Servings Per Container 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Amount Per Serving | ||
| Calories 60 | ||
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 6g 9% | ||
| – Saturated Fat 0.5g 3% | ||
| – Trans Fat 0g | ||
| Cholesterol 0mg 0% | ||
| Sodium 150mg 7% | ||
| Total Carbohydrate 1g 0% | ||
| – Dietary Fiber 0g 0% | ||
| – Total Sugars 1g | ||
| – Includes 0g Added Sugars 0% | ||
| Protein 0g |
Ingredients: Organic soybean oil, water, organic vinegar, organic lemon juice concentrate, sea salt, organic garlic, organic Worcestershire sauce (organic vinegar, organic molasses, water, sea salt, organic garlic, organic lemon juice concentrate, organic spices), organic mustard flour, organic guar gum, organic egg yolk, organic onion, organic xanthan gum, organic spice.
The organic version lists sea salt rather than anchovies to provide that salty umami hit. Marie’s organic Caesar dressing has no fish and no anchovies.
Summary of Marie’s Caesar Dressings
To summarize, here is a table showing which Marie’s Caesar dressings contain anchovies:
| Marie’s Caesar Dressing | Contains Anchovies? |
|---|---|
| Regular Caesar | Yes |
| Light Caesar | No |
| Creamy Caesar | No |
| Organic Caesar | No |
Conclusion
In summary, Marie’s original Caesar dressing does contain anchovies, but the light, creamy, and organic varieties are anchovy-free. People avoiding fish can enjoy the anchovy-free options, while those who want the traditional anchovy flavor can stick with the regular dressing. Checking ingredient labels is always advisable for anyone with food allergies or preferences.