Tamil Nadu bans mayonnaise made from raw eggs for one year

Tamil Nadu has banned the manufacture, storage, and sale of mayonnaise prepared from raw eggs for a period of one year with effect from this month. The ban, issued in the interest of public health, is on the basis that mayonnaise made of raw eggs is a “high risk food”, carrying a risk of food poisoning.

According to a notification issued in the Government Gazette by Principal Secretary and Commissioner of Food Safety R. Lalvena, any activities related to any stage of manufacture, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, distribution, food services, catering services and sale of mayonnaise prepared from raw egg is prohibited in the State under Section 30 (2) (a) of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and order of the Commissioner of Food Safety of Tamil Nadu.

Mayonnaise is a semi-solid emulsion generally composed of egg yolk, vegetable oil, vinegar, and other seasonings served along with food items such as shawarma. Mayonnaise made of raw eggs is a high-risk food as it carries a risk of food poisoning, especially from Salmonella bacteria, Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella enteritidis, Escherichia coli, and Listeria Monocytogenes, the notification said.

It has come to notice that a number of food business operators use raw egg for the preparation of mayonnaise, and improper storage facilitates contamination by microorganisms that creates a public health risk, particularly by Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella enteritidis, Escherichia coli, and Listeria Monocytogenes, it said.

In any specific circumstances, on the basis of assessment of available information and if the possibility of harmful effects on health is identified but scientific uncertainty persists, provisional risk management measures to ensure that health is protected can be adopted as per the Act, pending further scientific information for a more comprehensive risk assessment.

The notification said that no food business operator should manufacture, store, sell, or distribute any food which, for the time being, is prohibited by the Food Authority, Central government, or State government in the interest of public health.