When the FDA established its standard 72 years ago, French dressing was one of just three dressings recognized by the agency. The other two were mayonnaise and “salad dressing.”

According to the original 1950 standard, a French dressing should include vegetable oil, and a vinegar and/or lemon or lime juice, and could be seasoned with ingredients such as salt, sugar, tomato paste or puree, and spices such as mustard or paprika. In 2022, the French dressing perhaps best known to Americans has a more creamy texture, sweet flavor and red or orange composition. There’s not much that’s French about it.

The Association for Dressings and Sauces, a trade association representing salad dressing, mayonnaise and condiment manufacturers, petitioned the FDA to revoke the rule in January 1998. The restrictions on what constitutes a French dressing inhibited what could be created to match the desires of French dressing consumers, the petition argued.