mayonnaise
Enable an AI agent to recognise mayonnaise, assess its composition and emulsion condition, and decide whether it is suitable for a specified handling or culinary use.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
Researched by: Codex + Grok
Purpose and description
Enable an AI agent to recognise mayonnaise, assess its composition and emulsion condition, and decide whether it is suitable for a specified handling or culinary use.
Mayonnaise is a cold, high-internal-phase oil-in-water emulsion of edible vegetable oil in an acidified aqueous phase, stabilised chiefly by egg-yolk phospholipids and proteins, and in several jurisdictions a named food defined by a minimum oil content and the presence of egg yolk.
It can be Classify a sample against its formulation evidence and an explicitly selected mayonnaise naming basis.; Compare formulations for oil content, emulsifying ingredients and documented dietary constraints.; Inspect or measure separation and consistency under the intended serving conditions.; Apply documented storage and handling instructions to the identified product or batch.; Select mayonnaise for spreading, coating or binding based on its measured or observed behaviour.; Assess proposed dilution, mixing or emulsion repair while requiring a separate judgment of fitness for consumption..
Distinguishing features
Check that the material is an oil-in-water emulsion rather than identifying it from pale colour or thickness alone; butter and other fat systems can look similar.
Check the formulation and applicable naming basis to distinguish mayonnaise from salad dressing or a starch-thickened mayonnaise-style product.
Check whether egg-derived emulsification is part of the formulation or whether an egg-free mayonnaise identity is explicitly claimed; appearance cannot establish this distinction.
Check whether mayonnaise remains the product's identity or is an ingredient in a separately identified sauce, dip or prepared salad.
Compare ingredients and preparation evidence with neighbouring emulsified sauces such as aioli and hollandaise; names alone may leave the boundary unresolved.
Scope
+ Identity as mayonnaise, including the naming basis for conventional, reduced-fat and egg-free variants
+ Oil, aqueous ingredients, emulsifiers and other ingredients that determine the formulation
+ Emulsion integrity, consistency and changes during storage or handling
+ Batch-specific evidence relevant to allergens, preservation and fitness for consumption
+ Suitability for spreading, dressing, binding and incorporation into other foods
- Agricultural production and standalone specifications of eggs, oils and other ingredients
- Packaging design and manufacture, except its recorded effects on the mayonnaise
- Complete recipes and condition assessments for dishes containing mayonnaise
- Facility-wide food safety management and manufacturing equipment models
- Individual dietary prescriptions and clinical management of allergies
Characteristics
- Claimed mayonnaise identity
- Conventional mayonnaise; reduced-fat variant; egg-free variant; mayonnaise-style dressing; unresolved Prevents an agent from treating a marketing name as a verified formulation or universally valid classification.
- Formulation evidence
- Link to an ingredient declaration, recipe or batch formulation with its date and applicability Supports identity, allergen and functional assessments for the actual material.
- Oil fraction
- Percent by mass, with measurement or calculation basis Helps interpret product identity, consistency and differences between formulations.
- Emulsifying system
- Recorded egg-derived, plant-derived or other emulsifying ingredients; mixed; unknown Connects formulation to emulsion behaviour and relevant ingredient restrictions.
- Aqueous-phase acidification
- Declared acidifying ingredients and process; absent from available record; unknown Distinguishes evidence about acidification from assumptions based on sour taste.
- Measured pH
- pH, with sampling method, temperature, time and batch Provides one input to preservation assessment without establishing safety by itself.
- Emulsion integrity
- Apparently uniform; oiling off; aqueous separation; extensively broken; unassessed Indicates physical deterioration and possible loss of culinary function.
- Consistency under use conditions
- Apparent viscosity in Pa·s at a stated temperature and shear rate, or a documented spreadability test Supports judgments about spreading, coating and dispensing without treating viscosity as a fixed value.
- Allergen evidence
- Links to ingredient and cross-contact declarations applicable to the batch Allows use restrictions to follow documented composition rather than the word mayonnaise.
- Handling exposure
- Time-temperature history, opening time, serving exposure and utensil-contact records Makes condition assessment sensitive to what happened after manufacture or preparation.
- Sensory condition
- Recorded appearance, odour and texture observations; deviations from reference; unassessed Captures quality changes while preserving the distinction between acceptable appearance and verified safety.
- Use disposition
- Suitable for a specified use; restricted; hold for assessment; rejected; undetermined Expresses a decision together with its evidence and scope rather than a blanket claim of edibility.
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 6 bundles · 11 layers · 18 findings · 32 questions.
Mayonnaise identity Establishes what the material is claimed to be and the evidence supporting its place within the mayonnaise entry.
Mayonnaise overlaps in appearance and naming with several dressings and emulsified sauces.
Identity basis
Separates a product name from the formulation and convention supporting that name.
Claimed and supported identity
Record the mayonnaise claim, its source and the naming criteria used to evaluate it.
- What label, recipe or producer record identifies this material as mayonnaise? provenance
- Which culinary convention or jurisdiction-specific definition is being used to assess that claim? definition
Neighbouring sauce boundaries
Locates the boundary between mayonnaise variants and separately identified foods.
Variant or distinct food
Record whether composition and intended identity support a mayonnaise variant or a neighbouring food classification.
- What evidence distinguishes this formulation from salad dressing, aioli, hollandaise or another mayonnaise-like sauce? boundary
- Do added ingredients retain the identity of flavoured mayonnaise or establish a separate sauce or prepared dish? boundary
Formulation and ingredient constraints Records the ingredients and proportions needed to interpret mayonnaise identity, behaviour and use restrictions.
Different oil, acid and emulsifier systems can produce similar-looking mayonnaise with different properties.
Phase formulation
Describes the oil and aqueous portions and the ingredients that organise or thicken them.
Oil, water and emulsifiers
Record oil proportion, aqueous ingredients, emulsifying ingredients and any additional thickening system.
- What are the oil fraction and oil types, and are those values measured, calculated or declared? measurement
- Which ingredients provide the aqueous phase, emulsification and any additional thickening? definition
Ingredient restrictions
Connects formulation evidence to allergen and dietary claims.
Declared and unverified constraints
Record ingredient restrictions and distinguish supported absence claims from missing information.
- What batch-applicable evidence establishes egg, mustard or other relevant allergenic ingredients and cross-contact declarations? provenance
- Does the available evidence support the requested egg-free, vegan or other ingredient constraint, or must suitability remain undetermined? action
Emulsion condition Describes mayonnaise as an emulsion whose physical condition depends on formulation and handling.
An agent must distinguish usable consistency, physical separation and other changes without conflating them with microbial safety.
Emulsion structure
Records evidence about phase arrangement and visible or measured instability.
Phase integrity
Record whether the oil-in-water structure is supported and whether oil or water has separated.
- What formulation, process or examination evidence supports identification as an oil-in-water emulsion? definition
- How much oiling off or aqueous separation is present, and how was it assessed? measurement
Texture and change
Relates consistency and physical deterioration to observation conditions and exposure history.
Consistency under exposure
Record texture at relevant temperatures and changes following storage, freezing, heating or mixing.
- What spreadability or apparent viscosity does this mayonnaise exhibit at the intended use temperature and test conditions? measurement
- What temperature or mechanical exposures preceded a recorded change in texture or separation? provenance
- Does the physical condition support the proposed culinary use or require a separate rework assessment? action
Preservation and consumption condition Records the evidence needed to judge the condition of a particular batch or portion.
Mayonnaise safety cannot be inferred from its name, sourness or intact appearance.
Preservation basis
Identifies the formulation, preparation and validation evidence behind storage and use instructions.
Documented preservation controls
Record applicable acidification, ingredient treatment and preservation evidence without assigning unsupported universal limits.
- What records describe acidification, egg treatment where relevant, and other preservation controls for this formulation? provenance
- What pH measurements exist, and which batch, sampling method and preparation stage do they represent? measurement
- What validated instructions or authoritative criteria apply to storage and consumption of this specific product? action
Post-preparation condition
Tracks opening, exposure and condition evidence after preparation or manufacture.
Handling and disposition
Record whether handling history and observed changes support a consumption decision or leave it unresolved.
- What is known about opening or preparation time, temperature exposure, container integrity and utensil contact? provenance
- What appearance, odour or texture changes have been observed without using tasting as a safety test? measurement
- Given the applicable instructions and missing evidence, should this portion be used, held for assessment or rejected? action
Culinary function and transformation Connects mayonnaise properties to intended uses and changes caused by incorporation or reworking.
A mayonnaise can suit one culinary function while failing another, and alterations can invalidate its original condition assessment.
Functional fit
Assesses whether the material performs the intended spreading, coating or binding task.
Performance in use
Record functional requirements and evidence of performance under the actual serving conditions.
- Must this mayonnaise spread, cling, bind or dispense, and what observable result counts as acceptable? definition
- Does its consistency and separation behaviour meet that requirement at the expected temperature and holding time? measurement
Alteration and transfer
Defines reassessment needs when mayonnaise is diluted, reworked or added to another food.
Changed formulation, changed assessment
Record alterations and identify which identity, emulsion and preservation judgments need to be revisited.
- What evidence supports the proposed dilution, mixing, heating or emulsion-repair step for this formulation? action
- Which original storage or fitness judgments require reassessment after the alteration? action
- At what point does the resulting sauce or dish require its own model, with mayonnaise recorded as an ingredient? boundary
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
A model that cannot be lined up against existing standards, identifiers and practice cannot be adopted by anyone who already uses them.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Kinds and varieties
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Full-fat / standard-of-identity mayonnaise
- Light or reduced-fat mayonnaise
- Salatmayonnaise (German/Austrian lower-fat legal class)
- Japanese-style yolk-only mayonnaise (Kewpie type: rice vinegar, umami)
- Olive-oil mayonnaise
- Eggless / vegan mayonnaise
- Industrial heat-stable / bakery mayonnaise
- Flavoured mayonnaise (garlic, herb, chilli, and similar)
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of mayonnaise this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Identifiers and schemes
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Wikidata - Q132661 - Item for mayonnaise as a condiment/emulsion.
- US CFR standard of identity - 21 CFR 169.140 - Legal name and composition for products labelled mayonnaise in the United States.
- Codex Alimentarius - CODEX STAN 168-1989 (revoked) - Former Codex commodity standard; no longer a current Codex text.
- HS / Harmonized System - 2103.90* - Customs heading for sauces and preparations; mayonnaise is commonly classified here, with national statistical suffixes.
- Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of mayonnaise this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Standards and regulation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- US FDA 21 CFR 169.140 (mayonnaise): ≥65% vegetable oil by weight and egg-yolk-containing ingredients; cooked-starch thickening belongs to salad dressing, not mayonnaise.
- US FDA 21 CFR 169.150 (salad dressing): separate standard of identity used to keep starch-thickened, lower-oil products off the mayonnaise name.
- Codex Alimentarius CODEX STAN 168-1989 (Standard for Mayonnaise; revoked): required about 78.5% m/m vegetable oil and egg yolk; withdrawn as a global standard.
- Deutsches Lebensmittelbuch, Leitsätze for fat emulsions (Deutsche Lebensmittelbuch-Kommission / BMEL): mayonnaise generally ≥80% fat; Salatmayonnaise ≥50% fat.
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011: egg is a mandatory allergen; mustard is also declarable when used as a co-emulsifier.
- Commercial egg-safety practice (US and comparable regimes): factory mayonnaise is made with pasteurised egg to control Salmonella; homemade raw-egg mayonnaise is not covered by that control.
- Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of mayonnaise this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Table condiment on sandwiches, burgers, and fried foods.
- Binding and dressing phase in potato salad, coleslaw, egg salad, and tuna salad.
- Mother emulsion for tartar sauce, rémoulade, Thousand Island, and garlic-mayo / commercial aioli.
- Sushi and Japanese prepared-food condiment (Kewpie-style mayonnaise).
- Industrial ingredient in ready meals and as heat-stable bakery/filling mayonnaise.
- Teaching and laboratory example of a concentrated oil-in-water food emulsion.
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of mayonnaise this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Total fat / oil (full-fat product) - 65-82 - g/100 g
- pH - 3.6-4.2 - pH
- Water activity - 0.92-0.95 - aw
- Energy (full-fat) - 680-750 - kcal/100 g
- Sodium - 500-900 - mg/100 g
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of mayonnaise this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Emulsion break (coalescence / oil-off) from adding oil too fast, insufficient yolk, freeze-thaw, or excessive shear.
- Salmonella infection from homemade mayonnaise made with unpasteurised eggs.
- Oxidative rancidity of the oil phase on storage, light, or poor-quality oil.
- Egg allergy (and mustard allergy where mustard is used).
- Serum weepage, thinning, or off-flavours as quality defects without necessarily being a safety failure.
- Botulism is not typical of properly acidified mayonnaise (pH below 4.6) but is a real hazard in poorly acidified garlic-in-oil or aioli-style preparations stored anaerobically.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of mayonnaise this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- United States: legal mayonnaise at ≥65% oil; commercial formulas often slightly sweet; starch-thickened products must be labelled salad dressing, not mayonnaise.
- Germany and Austria: the name mayonnaise is reserved in the Lebensmittelbuch for a high-fat class; Salatmayonnaise is the everyday lower-fat named class.
- Japan: Kewpie-type mayonnaise uses only yolks, rice vinegar, and added umami (MSG), and is sold in a soft squeeze bottle.
- France and Belgium: mustard is commonly used as a co-emulsifier in the classic method; olive oil appears in some Provençal variants.
- United Kingdom: salad cream is a parallel named condiment (mustard, sugar, cooked, lower oil) and is not sold as mayonnaise.
- Mediterranean usage of aioli ranges from garlic mayonnaise to a garlic-olive-oil emulsion made without egg.
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of mayonnaise this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Salad dressing (US; e.g. Miracle Whip-type products) - US standard 21 CFR 169.150 allows cooked starch and a lower oil minimum; 21 CFR 169.140 mayonnaise does not.
- Salad cream (UK) - Mustard-forward, typically cooked and lower in oil, and sold under a different product name.
- Aioli - Traditional Provençal aioli is garlic pounded with olive oil and need not contain egg; many commercial aiolis are simply garlic mayonnaise (egg present, garlic added).
- Hollandaise - Warm emulsion of melted butter (not vegetable oil) with egg yolk, served hot, not a cold spoonable condiment.
- Vinaigrette - Oil-vinegar mixture without a yolk-stabilised high internal phase; separates on standing unless weakly dressed with mustard or gum.
- Tartar sauce - Mayonnaise plus chopped pickle/caper solids; the emulsion base is mayonnaise, the distinguishing test is the particulate relish.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of mayonnaise this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Sources
- 21 CFR 169.140 Mayonnaise - US standard of identity: ≥65% vegetable oil by weight, egg-yolk-containing ingredients, acidulants; distinction from salad dressing.
- 21 CFR 169.150 Salad dressing - Neighbour product: cooked starch, lower oil minimum, separate legal name from mayonnaise.
- Codex Standard for Mayonnaise (CODEX STAN 168-1989), later revoked - Former international composition standard requiring a high vegetable-oil content (78.5% m/m) and egg yolk; subsequently withdrawn as a Codex text.
- Leitsätze für Fette, Speiseöle und Speisefett-Emulsionen (Deutsches Lebensmittelbuch) - German naming practice: mayonnaise versus Salatmayonnaise fat-class minima.
- On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen - Emulsion structure (oil-in-water, yolk lecithin/proteins), breaking mechanisms, and the culinary relationship to aioli and warm butter emulsions.
What the second pass must settle
- Does the registry intend mayonnaise to include egg-free and reduced-fat products, and how should jurisdiction-dependent naming distinctions be represented?
- Which researched criteria distinguish mayonnaise from aioli, salad dressing and mayonnaise-based sauces without creating duplicate registry concepts?
- Which validated preservation and handling criteria apply to each formulation and preparation route, particularly homemade and altered mayonnaise?
- Which practical tests and acceptance ranges best predict spreading, coating and binding performance across mayonnaise formulations?
- Under what documented conditions is physical emulsion repair appropriate, and what independent evidence is required before the repaired product may be consumed?