A fast sandwich repair usually feels incomplete and not using a beneficiant dollop of mayonnaise. Creamy, tasty and versatile, this much-loved condiment is utilized in all the things from salads to sauces, and is loved by kids and adults alike. However issues over meals security have prompted the Tamil Nadu authorities to take agency motion.
In a latest order, the Commissioner of Meals Security and Drug Administration has banned the manufacture, storage, distribution, and sale of mayonnaise made utilizing uncooked eggs for one yr, efficient April 8, 2025.
The official notification describes mayonnaise as a “semi-solid emulsion containing egg yolk, vegetable oil, vinegar, and different seasonings,” generally utilized in dishes like shawarma. It categorises mayonnaise made with uncooked eggs as a “high-risk” meals, pointing to the presence of dangerous micro organism equivalent to “Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella enteritidis, Escherichia coli, and Listeria monocytogenes.”
What’s mayonnaise fabricated from?
Vriti Srivastav, a holistic dietitian, shared that mayonnaise has two principal elements, oil and water obtained from an egg yolk or a vegetarian supply.
“The lecithin within the yolk or a veg supply like soy, acts as an emulsifying agent to combine the 2 liquids. Extra elements added are vinegar, lime and flavouring. Nearly 70-80 per cent of mayo is oil,” she mentioned.
Mayonnaise is a well-liked condiment (Supply: Freepik)
How can raw-egg mayo pose a well being hazard?
“Uncooked eggs pose a major danger for Salmonella, a micro organism that may trigger food-borne sickness generally known as Salmonellosis. This could trigger diarrhoea, fever, and vomiting, doubtlessly resulting in dehydration and extreme well being problems. Chickens naturally carry Salmonella, which might contaminate their eggs,” mentioned Deepalakshmi, a registered dietitian at Shree Balaji Medical Faculty & Hospital, Chennai.
Harleen Gill, a medical nutritionist at Zyla Healthcare in Gurgaon, concurred, explaining that the timing and refrigeration of meals gadgets containing uncooked egg are important as a result of micro organism like Salmonella want time to multiply.
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“Whereas a small variety of micro organism in uncooked eggs won’t sometimes trigger meals poisoning because of the power of abdomen acid, leaving a uncooked egg condiment at room temperature can considerably improve bacterial contamination and the chance of extreme sickness,” she mentioned.
Alternate options to strive
In line with Srivastav, even in case you are selecting a vegetarian model of the condiment, individuals with a weaker intestine, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) ought to keep away from mayonnaise until their intestine is healed and wholesome.
She instructed a number of alternate options equivalent to hummus, guacamole, mint yogurt, tzatziki, pesto, beetroot yogurt, hung curd, olive oil lime dressings, dressings comprised of almond meal (leftover almond pulp after draining the milk), to bask in as an alternative.
DISCLAIMER: This text relies on data from the general public area and/or the consultants we spoke to. All the time seek the advice of your well being practitioner earlier than beginning any routine.