Mayonnaise

Description of product

The classic mayonnaise is a whipped sauce made from egg yolks, vinegar and cooking oil. The egg yolk, principally the lecithin that it contains, stabilises the oil-water emulsion. Most manufactured products today use lecithin from soya beans as the emulsifying agent.

In particular, fat-reduced mayonnaise contains milk proteins that also help to maintain the oil-water emulsion. If the fat content is less than 60%, starches or modified starches are also used.

As mayonnaise perishes quickly, it is necessary to add preservatives to prevent the growth of germs. Recently, a "system" comprising two enzymes, catalase and glucose oxidase, has been employed.

• See also: ready-to-use sauces, tomato ketchup

Possible application of gene technology

Applications of gene technology are possible in the following ingredients that commonly are found in mayonnaise. However, the extent to which a particular product is affected by these possibilities cannot be stated with certainty:

• oil: plant fats, , e.g. soya oil, rapeseed oil; corn oil
• eggs
• emulsifying agents such as lecithin and mono- and diglycerides
• preservation through enzymes: catalase, glucose oxidase
• flavouring
• colouring, e.g. riboflavin

Especially for calorie-reduced products also:

• starch and modified starches
• sweeteners such as sorbitol, aspartame
• milk protein or whey powder
• acidifying agent citric acid