Marketing a New Vegetable Based Mayonnaise
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