Cracking down on a condiment no one’s actually making, Tamil Nadu’s food safety authorities have stirred up fear over ‘unhealthy’ mayonnaise while ignoring the real dangers of mass-produced junk
Search online for ‘mayonnaise recipe’ and you’ll find pages and pages of them. Nearly all, even the ‘easy’ and ‘failproof’ methods will impress upon the aspiring maker of mayonnaise how tricky an exercise the whipping up of this condiment is. This is because of its propensity to ‘split’ during the process, resulting in a runny, inedible mess of raw eggs and oil. But when it’s done right, mayonnaise, an emulsion of oil and water, is a delicious if high-fat condiment that can be used to dress salads, gussy up boiled eggs and cold meats, or lend creaminess to sandwich fillings.
The emulsification is enabled by the lecithin (a type of fat) in egg yolks. It takes the patient addition of oil, first in tiny drops and then in a thin, steady stream into the eggs, while constantly whisking — a food processor can also do the job — until it turns into a light, airy sauce, frequently flavoured with vinegar or lemon juice and mustard.
This brings me to the question: does the Tamil Nadu Food and Drug Administration that has banned ‘any activities related to any stage of manufacture, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, distribution, food services, catering services and sale of mayonnaise prepared from raw egg,’ honestly believe the neighbourhood momo vendor and the hole-in-the-wall operation selling shawarma is making mayo from raw eggs as laid down by the Larousse Gastronomique, world’s classic culinary reference book? I sniggered at the thought.
Who comes under ban’s purview?
Apparently, it has come to the notice of the authorities that a number of food business operators use raw egg for preparation of mayonnaise, posing a public health risk by Salmonella and E-Coli. The year-long ban is intended to prevent the outbreak of food-borne illnesses. Keeping the population safe from falling sick through contaminated food is, of course, one of the key responsibilities of the Commissioner of Food Safety and Drug Administration. But because mayonnaise that contains raw eggs is nowhere present on the ingredient tray of the vendors and small food shops, one gathers the government notice is addressing the ban appears to be the equivalent of stirring up a big storm in a very small mason jar (of mayo).
According to bio-scientist Megha, if mayonnaise is made of raw eggs, there would always be a food safety concern since salmonella thrives in the live environment eggs provide. “It is unlikely though that commercial food operations — especially the ones the ban is targeting — would make their own mayonnaise. They would be using branded versions of the condiment, which could be made from lecithin, crucial for emulsification and stability, and other substances. “Industrial production facilities are extremely careful not to use any ingredients that can pose the slightest health hazard,” she adds.
Also read: Tamil Nadu bans raw egg mayonnaise over public health concerns
Restaurant consultant Chef Vikram Udaygiri agrees that if anyone comes within the purview of the ban, it would be the rare kitchen that makes its own mayonnaise from scratch. Most eateries, big and small, that serve mayonnaise as a condiment rely on commercially manufactured products. There’s no denying Indian cities have developed a great — some might say quite inexplicable — love of the mass-produced white sauce, which isn’t anything like real mayo.
Misplaced concern over real mayonnaise
Momos that were once served with the spicy signature chutney of the North East are now accompanied by a large squeeze of mayo. Potato twisters, street cart sandwiches, pizza, paneer tikka everything comes with this condiment. And despite the concern of the food safety authorities, you can be assured that none of it has raw egg as an ingredient. It contains soyabean — or palm — oil, sugar, emulsifiers and stabilizers, acidity regulator, preservatives, nature identical flavouring substances and sequestrant — a cocktail of ingredients and the stuff of Michael Pollan’s food nightmares.
Also read: Telangana bans mayonnaise made with raw eggs to curb food poisoning
Tamil Nadu is not the pioneer in imposing this ban that borders on the absurd; Telangana and Kerala took this step last year. Now, it seems, Karnataka may also follow suit, leaving no room in South India for real mayonnaise, a potential health risk and an ingredient that no small food vendor has access to. Talk about utterly futile regulations!
The authorities in these states would do so much better to come down on foods consumed in large volumes that have known harmful effects, are of poor nutrition value and, most importantly, are actually sold everywhere — like high-sugar drinks and ultra-processed foods. They seem to have caught the wrong end of the stick, banning a food item that isn’t even sold or consumed in any significant volume.
They would do well to suspend concerns about real mayonnaise and exaggerating the health risk it poses and perhaps ban all the harmful additives and condiments being produced and sold by big food companies. And while they’re at it, maybe they could do away with fake mayo as well. Bring back green chutney, I say!
