TKF Science Writing

Have you ever met someone with an egg allergy? A person who is allergic to eggs can’t eat cakes, pies, mayonnaise, or a whole host of other foods. According to an article in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, help might be on the way.

Mayonnaise is a water-oil based emulsion stabilized by protein. It is the protein that usually gives people allergic reactions and can lead to anaphalactic shock. Researchers from Tokyo University have now replaced the egg protein with a vegetable protein that might become popular to consumers.  Consumers were asked to compare this new low-fat mayo with the traditional egg based version. When it came down to taste, no discernible differences were noted.

The vegetable components make up about 50% of the new mayonnaise with the main ingredients being xanthan gum, guar gum and citrus fibre. Other formulations included rice bran oil and soy protein concentrate. Various other plant extracts are also being used as stabilizers which help extend shelf life.

Replacing the egg protein with vegetable protein is desirable because of the cost differences. Mayonnaise has seen cost increases for two straight years and that is directly related to the egg market. Chicken feed is a far greater expense than the fertilizer needed for crops so that expense is passed on to the consumer.

Since consumers seem to like the taste of the vegetable mayonnaise, the health benefits is an added benefit. Consumers should feel compelled to buy knowing that they can now enjoy a healthy mayonnaise without compromising taste.

In addition to vegetables, rice bran oil mayonnaise also seems to have a high shelf life. It also ranks high in terms of cooking stability and fatty acid composition, which is linked with lowering cholesterol.

Traditional Ingredients in Mayonnaise

I read an interesting article about the veined octopus, which reinforces the fact that it may be one of the smartest animals in the ocean. Researchers discovered that this octopus is making the most of its surroundings and being quite resourceful about it. They found that the shells of coconuts are used as a mode of transportation by the octopus.

The coconuts are washed from the beach into the sea, picked up by the mollusk, who then carries the shells across the ocean floor. The octopus then combines them back together for a nice little shelter. This strategy allows for a nice makeshift portable home. Bear Grylls from the Discovery Channel would be impressed.

Using foreign objects is not unusual for many animals, but most do not go to the lengths that the octopus does. Like some sort of circus act in the ocean or an episode from Spongebob Squarepants, this octopus uses the coconuts as stilts. The stilts allow it to make a quick getaway when predators are around. After seeing this “stilted” octopus up close, researchers made careful observations noting that they have never laughed so hard in their lives.

Photograph courtesy Roger Steene