22.06.2020

Read the label when buying mayonnaise

Today’s buyer is increasingly demanding in the selection of high-quality natural products. The ability to read the label of mayonnaise is a good skill that allows you to make the right choice for a tasty and healthy diet for the whole family.

Storage terms

Mayonnaise should be stored in a refrigerated place without direct sunlight at a temperature not lower than 0 and not higher than 25 ° С. The shelf life and temperature regime of mayonnaise are indicated on the packaging, for each product they are different depending on the recipe and production technology. Modern technologies make it possible to produce a product with a long shelf life without the addition of nondairy preservatives: 90 – 120 days at a storage temperature of 0 to 25 ° C. After opening the package, mayonnaise should be stored in the refrigerator in accordance with the instructions on the label, but try to use mayonnaise for a maximum of 7 days.

Date of manufacture

The date of manufacture will tell you how fresh the mayonnaise is. The closer the purchase day is to this date, the more likely is that the mayonnaise will have a more intense and delicate taste and less coarse flavor. Now the system of delivery of products to chain stores is so developed that it is easy to buy mayonnaise in the store for 7-10 days after the specified production date.

Preservatives in the ingredients. Preservatives – are food additives that increase the shelf life of products, protecting them from spoilage. There are natural and nondairy preservatives that are approved for usage. Natural preservatives are salt, sugar, vinegar, citric acid. In modern production are used derivatives of acids of organic compounds – synthetic preservatives, for example sorbic acid, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate and others, which extend the shelf life to several months. It is interesting that for the first time sorbic acid was discovered in 1859 in juice from rowan-berries. At the moment it is used a synthetic analogue of natural sorbic acid.

Stabilizers and thickeners

When transporting, changing temperatures, mayonnaise may delaminate, especially with medium and low calorie mayonnaises. To prevent this from happening, thickeners and stabilizers are used in the production. In fatty mayonnaises, these additives are the least. You need to buy the product where such additives will be at the very end. Do not be afraid of thickeners of natural origin, such as guar and xanthan gum, carob gum or starch.

And a few nuances

If you see the inscription “Olive” on the packaging, this does not mean that the mayonnaise is made on the basis of only olive oil: it is impractical neither from the economic point of view, nor from the physicochemical properties of the oil, because it freezes when cooled, and then the appearance of the mayonnaise is lost. The so-called olive mayonnaise is made, like the classic one, from refined deodorized sunflower oil. Olive oil is added in small quantities there, as a flavoring component.

Is it written on the package that the mayonnaise is cooked “on quail eggs”? If these eggs are used in the production of such mayonnaise, then in the smallest quantities. The basis of the product in 99% of cases is still chicken eggs. This fact is also supported by the fact that the price of such mayonnaise is comparable to the classic product, although quail eggs are 2.5-3 times more expensive than chicken eggs.

Many Ukrainians love mayonnaise and add it to the first dishes instead of sour cream and serve with dumplings or just spread on bread instead of butter. With all the love for this product, you should remember that mayonnaise should be consumed wisely, and then even the fattest mayonnaise will not damage the figure, and will be a wonderful addition to the dishes on the table and will make life tastier and brighter!