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.