What mayo does not have dairy... or how mayonnaise is really made?
One of my clients asked me not that long ago: "Is there a lactose-free mayonnaise?" What a great idea for a short blog post, I thought! Although it may not be as important for everyone, knowing food origins and / or how products are made is a great help for people with food allergies and intolerances!
Below I gathered a few useful tips in case you are also wondering about what is what:
mayonnaise, also known as mayo, is a very popular condiment. However, its appearance is misleading for many people. Because it is white-ish and creamy, it looks like a dairy-based product. However, in reality most mayonnaises are egg-based and have zero dairy. So, if someone asks you “is there a lactose-free mayonnaise?”, you can confidently say: “absolutely! Most of them are”.
regular mayonnaise is usually made of eggs, oil, lemon juice, mustard and salt.
there are some varieties that add dairy-containing ingredients, but it is rather an exception than the rule. However, always check the label to be sure!
Other potential ingredients to check for, depending on your allergy / intolerance:
the type of oil used (e.g. soybean oil may or may not be an issue for people with soy allergy, especially if cold-pressed)
if vinegar was used and if so, what kind (for sulphite sensitivity and celiac disease)
types of seasoning / natural flavour (e.g. garlic for people with garlic allergy). This one is tough as details are often not listed, so you may need to contact the company or find a different variety.
if mustard was used (for mustard allergy)
As always, if you have any questions, reach out to your nutritionist or shoot me a message!
Love you all and til next!