February 13, 2003

Prairie Fare: A Little Mayo, Please

By Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service

Mayonnaise is a food that has been the subject of misconceptions. At picnics, you may have been admonished to "watch out for the mayo-based salad." You may have been cautioned about mayo in sandwich spreads. From a food safety standpoint, however, there are much riskier foods than mayo.

Where did this all start? Mayonnaise didn’t always exist in an attractive sealed jar with a label on the front. Years ago, people made mayonnaise from scratch. Fresh, raw eggs were the vital ingredient that held the emulsion of oil and vinegar together. Since homemade mayo contains raw eggs, there probably were lots of cases of "food poisoning," or more specifically Salmonellosis, linked to mayo. Its reputation stuck.

Commercial mayonnaise is not a common cause of foodborne illness. When mayonnaise happens to be an ingredient in a food linked to an outbreak, the more likely culprit is cross contamination. Since salad ingredients are handled a great deal during the preparation step, improperly washed hands or equipment may have introduced bacteria.

Mayonnaise is a creamy condiment that has a federal standard of identity. By law, if it’s labeled "mayonnaise" it must contain at least 65 percent oil plus pasteurized egg yolks or whole eggs and an acidic ingredient such as vinegar or lemon juice. Sometimes seasonings or spices are added. Since oil and vinegar don’t mix, egg yolk acts as an emulsifier to hold the mixture together.

The acid content of mayonnaise serves as a protective factor against the growth of bacteria. Some research studies have shown that most types of bacteria can’t survive the acidity level of mayo. Commercial mayo also usually contains added preservatives to extend its shelf life. After opening, refrigerated mayonnaise has a shelf life of about two months.

Creamy salad dressings, on the other hand, contain a starch base in place of the eggs. A tablespoon of mayo-like creamy salad dressing contains 70 calories, 7 grams of fat and 1.7 grams carbohydrate compared to 100 calories, 11 grams of fat and 0.1 grams carbohydrate in a tablespoon of regular mayonnaise. In most recipes, mayo and salad dressing are interchangeable. Like mayonnaise, the refrigerated shelf life after opening is about two months.

Many reduced-fat dressings have been introduced in the marketplace. Most of the time, you won’t be able to tell the difference between regular and low-fat, although your waistline might.

In the following vegetable dip recipe, substituting lower-fat products makes a major nutritional difference. For example, using regular sour cream and regular mayo results in a dip that contains 90 calories, 9.3 grams fat and 13.5 grams carbohydrate per two tablespoon serving. Using light products, a two-tablespoon serving contains 52 calories, 5 grams fat and 1.6 grams carbohydrate. Using fat-free products, the same-size serving drops to 23 calories, 0.1 grams fat and 4 grams carbohydrate.

Quick and Easy Vegetable Dip

1 envelope dry vegetable soup mix
2 c. light sour cream
1/2 c. light mayonnaise

Combine all ingredients in bowl. Chill for about 2 hours to blend flavors. Stir before serving. Serve with a variety of cut-up vegetables.

Makes about 20, two-tablespoon servings. A serving contains 52 calories, 5 grams fat and 1.6 grams carbohydrate.

###

Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu