BENGALURU: After Tamil Nadu classified mayonnaise made with raw eggs as a “high-risk food” and imposed a one-year ban over salmonella infection concerns, health experts have urged the Karnataka government to take similar action. Raw egg mayonnaise can carry Salmonella bacteria, leading to food poisoning. The infection, in severe cases, can even spread to the bloodstream and become life-threatening.
What prompted the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department (FDA) to act was the rising risk of Salmonella infections linked to the use of raw eggs in mayonnaise. In response, FDA banned ‘manufacturing, processing, storage, and sale’ of mayonnaise with raw eggs across Tamil Nadu. The ban, issued under section 30(2)(a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act will come into effect from May 8 and will remain in force for a year. As per the Tamil Nadu gazette notification, mayonnaise made with raw eggs is classified as a high-risk food.
However, Karnataka FDA officials told TNIE that before deciding on further action, they will review the basis of Tamil Nadu’s ban.
Health experts warn that mayonnaise made with raw eggs can pose a serious health risk because raw eggs may be contaminated with Salmonella, a harmful bacteria that causes salmonellosis, a common type of food poisoning.
“When someone consumes food contaminated with Salmonella, the bacteria travel to the intestines and can cause symptoms like diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, nausea, and vomiting within a few hours to a few days.
In some cases, the infection can be more severe and spread from the intestines to the bloodstream, requiring hospitalisation and sometimes leading to life-threatening complications,” Dr Aditya Chowti, Director of Internal Medicine and Diabetology at TriLife Hospital explained. Dr Chowti added that as mayonnaise is often stored for long periods and served cold, it provides a moist, protein-rich environment where bacteria like Salmonella can multiply if not properly handled or refrigerated.
Bharathi Kumar, Dietician at Fortis Hospital highlighted that Salmonella bacteria are typically found in the intestines of animals and birds, and eggs can become contaminated either through the shell or internally before the shell formation.
“When raw eggs are used in foods like mayonnaise without any cooking process to kill the bacteria, they become a direct route for infection. Unlike cooked foods, which reach high temperatures that destroy harmful microbes, raw egg-based products carry a much higher risk of bacterial survival and growth,” Dr Bharathi said, adding that mayonnaise is often made in large batches and stored at room temperature in many commercial settings, further increasing the chance for bacteria to multiply.
Dr Bharathi stressed that infections can spread not just through consumption, but also through cross-contamination — if kitchen surfaces or utensils used with raw-egg mayo are not cleaned properly, they can transfer bacteria to other foods.