Safe, satisfying and stabilized dressings and sauces: the dressing and mayonnaise category is an active one for product developers, with over 260 products introduced in 2003. The food science underlying their formulating and processing parameters remains fundamental

Prepared Foods, Oct, 2004 by Claudia Dziuk O'Donnell

According to Mintel's Global New Products Database (GNPD, Chicago), some 260 new dressings and mayonnaise products were introduced in 2003 in the U.S. Additionally, 121 oils and 859 table and cooking sauces were launched last year. Many factors drive both new product development efforts and the nature of the products introduced.

For example, the low-carb movement has pushed many to turn toward salads. Since the induction phase of the Atkins diet advises against foods with higher carbohydrate levels (such as carrots and tomatoes), people are "beefing up" their salads with proteins from eggs and turkey' to ham, bacon and cheese. Although these components turn a bland, leafy meal into something rich and filling, the addition of a creative dressing is needed to truly bring the meal to life.

According to the Association for Dressings and Sauces (Atlanta), a survey of 1,000 Americans revealed that salad dressings are more popular with women than men. Some 25% of women "love" salad dressing and use it more than any other condiment sauce. Their usage is strongest in the Northeast region of the U.S. Additionally, 81% of consumers aged 18 to 24 said they liked salad dressing the best of condiment sauces.

Although flavorful products (from the traditional to the new and exotic) draw consumers, there also are some health issues which may concern them.

Safety and Heart Health

Many who consume salads do so because they are perceived to be healthful, but both the types of fat present and microbial safety maybe questioned.

For example, trans fatty acids regularly have been in the news. Happily for salad lovers, the oils that form the basis of salad dressings usually are not hydrogenated and generally do not contain these types of unsaturated fats.

Manufacturers of gourmet products may look to olive oil as both a flavorful and healthy oil base. Producers in Egypt, Tunisia and even the U.S. now join traditional sources of olive oil, the countries of Italy. Spain, Greece and Portugal.

Other oils sport components that are of benefit to heart health. For example, sesame oil contains natural polyphenols that have been shown to be heart healthy. A proprietary blend of high oleic sunflower oil, sesame oil and rice bran oil was given "Healthy Oil" status by the German government several years ago.

On the flavor front, users have the option of buying sesame oil from toasted or untoasted seeds for a very different flavor profile. The toasted sesame oil can provide dressings and dips with an Oriental touch. Oils from tree nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts have heart healthy properties and unique flavors.

Many consumers view salad dressings and mayonnaise-type products with caution in regards to microbial safety. However, commercial mayonnaises are one of the safest products in the marketplace. They have a low pH level and are manufactured from pasteurized eggs.

Organic acids, particularly sodium benzoate/benzoic acid and potassium sorbate/sorbic acid, may be used in both shelf stable and refrigerated products to reduce risk of microbial spoilage. They are less important in food safety due to their relative ineffectiveness against pathogens. The salt forms (e.g., sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate) are more commonly formulated into products due to their greater solubility, although it is the undissociated acid forms (e.g., benzoic or sorbic acid) that are the effective microbial inhibitors. Reducing pH increases the amount of molecules in undissociated forms. Roughly the same antimicrobial effect is obtained with 0.05% benzoate at pH 3.0 as is 0.1% at pH 4.0.

The GNPD shows Unilever Bestfoods (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.) launched shelf-stable Wish-Bone Restaurant Style Raspberry Hazelnut Vinaigrette Dressing with sodium benzoate, sorbic acid and calcium disodium EDTA (a metal chelator) in the U.S. this spring. The product also contains pH-lowering distilled balsamic vinegar and citric acid. This summer, Unilever Canada (Toronto) launched Creamy Dijonnaise with sodium benzoate and the acidifiers citric and tartaric acid. Such "mayo-fusion" products are not limited to North America. For example, Mautner Markhof Feinkost (Vienna, Austria) just introduced Estragonaise Mayonnaise, with a "tarragon mustard and tomato ketchup flavor." The preservative system also combines potassium sorbate with acidifiers such as vinegar, citric acid and ketchup.

In a related area, some gourmet product manufacturers have used flavorful, herb-infused oils as a dressing base. Herbs typically used include peppers, rosemary, thyme and garlic. Some of these infusions have the added benefit of containing antioxidants, which protect the product from oxidation and increase antioxidants in the diet.

Creamy Stability

An additional challenge for some dips and dressings is that the non-polar oil and aqueous vinegar or water phase must be mixed and remain stabilized--as economically as possible.

Salad dressings, mayonnaise, dairy dips and many cooking sauces are oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions. Such products generally use stabilizer and emulsifier ingredients along with a homogenizing process to achieve desired finished product characteristics.