Mayo Myths

[jgh1204]

Found this article about Mayo and thought I would share.

Mayonnaise Spoilage Myths (http://homecooking.about.com/od/howtocookwithcondiments/a/mayospoilage.htm)

Commercial mayonnaise has an undeserved bad reputation as a cause of food spoilage. In fact, commercial mayonnaise is loaded with acid and preservatives that can actually extend the life of salads (http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blsaladindex.htm) by killing bacteria. The eggs used in prepared mayonnaise are pasteurized to kill harmful bacteria.

Truth be told, it is usually cross-contamination of uncooked foods that causes foodborne illness, not the prepared mayo. It is perfectly safe to carry a tuna (http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/aa091001a.htm) salad sandwich for lunch with no refrigeration, but it is still always a good idea to refrigerate salads and cold dishes using mayonnaise.

On the other hand, homemade mayonnaise carries more risk if not handled properly. Foods using homemade mayo should be eaten immediately or properly refrigerated. The best bet is to make up only the amount of mayonnaise that you need, and do not plan on leftovers.

It is so easy and fast to make that you should not need the convenience of a prepared mayo except for that last minute sandwich. Homemade mayonnaise (http://homecooking.about.com/od/condimentrecipes/r/blcon65.htm) will last up to a week when properly refrigerated.

Traditional homemade mayonnaise contains raw egg yolks. The perfect solution is to purchase irradiated eggs which are now available in most markets. Irradiated eggs carry no risk of salmonella contamination and are perfectly safe to use in raw preparations.

However, if you are unable to find irradiated eggs but don't want to take the risk of using raw eggs, my recipe collection (http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blcon54.htm) includes a couple of cooked mayonnaise recipes. Cooked recipes warm the egg yolks just to the point where any bacteria will be killed but not enough to actually cook the yolks.

[1FUNVET]

Interesting info.

[Crüe-B-Cüe]

My grandmother never refrigerated mayo. It just sat on the counter. That's why potato salad and other such items are good for picnics. It actually coats the food you are putting it on and helps keep it from spoiling as fast.

[Paulmark]

Found this article about Mayo and thought I would share.

Mayonnaise Spoilage Myths (http://homecooking.about.com/od/howtocookwithcondiments/a/mayospoilage.htm)

Commercial mayonnaise has an undeserved bad reputation as a cause of food spoilage. In fact, commercial mayonnaise is loaded with acid and preservatives that can actually extend the life of salads (http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blsaladindex.htm) by killing bacteria. The eggs used in prepared mayonnaise are pasteurized to kill harmful bacteria.

Truth be told, it is usually cross-contamination of uncooked foods that causes foodborne illness, not the prepared mayo. It is perfectly safe to carry a tuna (http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/aa091001a.htm) salad sandwich for lunch with no refrigeration, but it is still always a good idea to refrigerate salads and cold dishes using mayonnaise.

On the other hand, homemade mayonnaise carries more risk if not handled properly. Foods using homemade mayo should be eaten immediately or properly refrigerated. The best bet is to make up only the amount of mayonnaise that you need, and do not plan on leftovers.

It is so easy and fast to make that you should not need the convenience of a prepared mayo except for that last minute sandwich. Homemade mayonnaise (http://homecooking.about.com/od/condimentrecipes/r/blcon65.htm) will last up to a week when properly refrigerated.

Traditional homemade mayonnaise contains raw egg yolks. The perfect solution is to purchase irradiated eggs which are now available in most markets. Irradiated eggs carry no risk of salmonella contamination and are perfectly safe to use in raw preparations.

However, if you are unable to find irradiated eggs but don't want to take the risk of using raw eggs, my recipe collection (http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blcon54.htm) includes a couple of cooked mayonnaise recipes. Cooked recipes warm the egg yolks just to the point where any bacteria will be killed but not enough to actually cook the yolks.

I agree that is what we learned in chef school.

[J_Don]

My mother almost died for food poisoning in 1973. She blames it on tuna salad she ate a day or two earlier which contained mayo and onions which is another food that I have heard can cause food poisoning. Now she hardly ever keeps any leftovers. Looks to me like she does waste a lot of food but don't try to tell her any different. I try to be safe but I pretty much eat whatever and I want and have yet to have any problems. This subject has been an ongoing dilemma for a long time now. Go figure.

[jswordy]

I completely agree, and especially about the cross-contamination. That is why I am a freakazoid about washing hands, washing hands, washing hands at all stages of prep, and making sure about not using contaminated tools or cutting boards. It is also why I like clean grates, every time.

Like J Don's mom, I was poisoned and got very, very sick. My poisoning cause was listeria from Ball Park Franks (I don't eat hot dogs anymore, ever). Luckily, some were left over and we put them back in the freezer in their bag, with the ID number to confirm it was part of those batches. Six people died in my region from eating those hot dogs. Listeria kills an average one out of every four people who get it. I was very sick for 2 weeks. Docs were clueless until I saw a news report and looked at the bag.

And don't believe the "afflicts children and the elderly, or people with compromised immune systems" boilerplate, either. I was in my mid-30s and in prime health when I got sick. It will turn ya into a cleanliness freak when prepping food! I do not want to make someone sick like that, ever.

That's why I have such a hard time with this local restaurant here where, in an outbreak there, a person DIED. Yet people have gone back and the place is as popular as ever. Man, they KILLED a customer! I'll never darken that door again.

As far as onions, people can have allergic reactions to them. I do, to certain ones, and so does my wife. But I can eat Vadalias all day with no trouble, so we use them exclusively when they can be had.

[Sledneck]

My grandmother never refrigerated mayo. It just sat on the counter. That's why potato salad and other such items are good for picnics. It actually coats the food you are putting it on and helps keep it from spoiling as fast. Most mayo has a label that states to refrigerate aftger opening. I recieved a bottle of Hellmans in a goody bag at a contest a few years ago that was labeled "does not need to be refrigerated" so thats what i did, Kept in the cabinet and used it until it was done. Never went bad

[Sledneck]

eggs used in commercial mayo are pasteurized, killing bacteria like Salmonella. Think about it, it sits on store shelves for months

[Diver]

Good info. Thanks for posting. It is amazing what food poisoning does to the mind. I eat and drink any and everything and, knock wood, never get sick. My wife on the other hand got food poisoning from a lobster tail and she still hates to even see them live and walking in the aquairium at restaurants. Illness from food poisoning is absolutely brutal.

[Sledneck]

Good info. Thanks for posting. It is amazing what food poisoning does to the mind. I eat and drink any and everything and, knock wood, never get sick. My wife on the other hand got food poisoning from a lobster tail and she still hates to even see them live and walking in the aquairium at restaurants. Illness from food poisoning is absolutely brutal.
Brutal isn't the word, on my honeymoon we ate at the San Angel Inn restaurant in the Mexico Pavilion in Epcot theme park and got sick