Flaxseed Mucilage as a Functional Egg Replacer in the Preparation of Mayonnaise: Stability, Physicochemical, and Sensory Properties

Mayonnaise is a widely consumed food dressing worldwide. Traditionally, it is prepared by emulsification of oil with egg yolk. However, the use of eggs is limited due to their cholesterol-rich content, allergenicity, and high price, as well as the vegan and healthy dietary preferences of consumers. Flaxseed mucilage, as a natural hydrocolloid gum, exhibits comparable functional properties, especially emulsifying activity, to commercial gums. In this study, egg yolk in mayonnaise was substituted by flaxseed mucilage solution at 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% levels to develop functional formulations. Stability, physicochemical, microbiological, textural, and sensory properties of mucilage-added mayonnaise samples were compared with the control (100% egg yolk mayonnaise) and three different negative controls (mayonnaises made with 25%, 50%, and 75% egg yolk). Findings demonstrated that the color values of mayonnaises were considerably changed by the replacement of egg yolk with mucilage. Mayonnaise made with 100% flaxseed mucilage had a lower pH and higher moisture content than the control and negative controls. Mucilage-added samples showed similar emulsion stability to the control. Moreover, free fatty acid and peroxide values of samples containing flaxseed mucilage were lower than those of the control and negative controls. The substitution of egg yolk with mucilage at high levels (≥ 50%) decreased hardness, adhesiveness, and gumminess values. There were no considerable alterations in microbial counts between the control and mucilage-added samples. Samples made with 25% mucilage revealed similar acceptability scores to the control. In conclusion, flaxseed mucilage could be considered a potential egg replacer for preparing functional mayonnaise with good stability and acceptability. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Despite their high nutritional value, cholesterol content, allergenicity, risk of Salmonella, and high price are disadvantages of eggs. Flaxseed mucilage is a sustainable and natural hydrocolloid gum. It contains high levels of soluble fibers, which may exhibit positive influences on obesity, diabetes, heart diseases, and some cancer types. The development of functional mayonnaise formulations in this study by replacing egg yolk with flaxseed mucilage could represent a novel healthy alternative in the food industry.