CV Surveillance Series - Mayonnaise (Eggless) 
Worried about the fat, are you?
Mayonnaise is one of the most popular condiments out there. Its characteristic creamy yet slightly sour taste makes it a delectable base for dressings, dips and sauces, as well as a flavour enhancer for sandwiches, salads and, yes, egg bhurjis. Yet, mayonnaise is not exactly something that health enthusiasts would go gaga over. For one, it is mostly fat, with commercially produced mayonnaise having more than 50 per cent fat. Interestingly, all three India-manufactured brands that we tested claim to be ‘proprietary’, and hence effectively outside the purview of specifications. so, what should the consumer know and expect?
We tested four popular brands of eggless mayonnaise for fats/oils composition in terms of saturated fat, unsaturated fats, trans fat and cholesterol. One brand, American Garden, was imported from the USA. Other brands were manufactured in India and all were proprietary food – this means there are no specifications for these under Food Safety & Standards Regulations. These were tested in an NABL-accredited laboratory.
The good news is that none of the brands showed presence of trans fats and cholesterol. We also checked the brands for bacterial contamination, as discussed in detail below.
You can see list of our CV Surveillance Series - Mayonnaise (Eggless) below, perform Side-by-Side comparison. If you need further help, do have a look at Conzumr Guides and Tips. Alternatively you can view all Mayonnaise to choose your own favourites.
Mayonnaise is a condiment sauce obtained by emulsifying edible vegetable oil(s) in an aqueous phase, the oil-in-water emulsion. It comes under the class of foods commonly referred to as salad dressings or salad cream. Other ingredients may be sugar, salt, milk solids, acids, preservatives, stabilisers and emulsifiers, etc.
Side by Side comparison
Highlights
Parameters Tested
Fat/oil is an essential part of our diet, being a main source of energy. However, when eaten in large amounts, all fats, including healthy fats, can contribute to weight gain.
On the labels, American Garden declared soya bean and/or canola oil, Fun Foods refined soya bean oil, and Cremica and Del Monte vegetable oil. Cremica and Delmonte did not specify the type of oil used, which means they are not transparent in declaration.
Cholesterol is two types:
i) low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also known as ‘bad’ cholesterol, and
ii) highdensity lipoprotein (HDL), also known as ‘good’ cholesterol.
Bacterial contamination is a serious issue for all food products. We conducted tests for total plate count (TPC) and Salmonella.
As per Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, every package shall bear the name, address, telephone number, and email address, if available, of the person who can be – or the office that can be – contacted in case of consumer complaints.