Telangana bans mayonnaise for one year amid food poisoning concerns

Telangana has banned raw egg-based mayonnaise due to recent food poisoning incidents, urging safer alternatives to enhance public health and hygiene.

In Short

• Telangana says mayonnaise linked to multiple food poisoning incidents
• Ban comes into effect, will be in force for one year
• Authorities suggest alternative options, public to be informed about health risks

The Telangana government on Wednesday banned raw egg-based mayonnaise due to food safety concerns, following several recent cases of food poisoning linked to mayonnaise in the state. The order was issued a day after one person died and 15 others fell ill from consuming momos in Hyderabad.

The ban came into effect on Wednesday and will continue for one year, with authorities encouraging alternative mayonnaise preparations to improve food hygiene and safeguard public health.

According to food safety officials, several recent cases of contamination in the state have been traced to the use of egg-based mayonnaise, widely used in dishes like sandwiches, momos, shawarma and Al Faham chicken among others. It is used by emulsifying egg yolks with oil, often flavoured with vinegar or lemon juice.

"As per the observations during enforcement activities and complaints received from the public in the state of Telangana, mayonnaise made from raw eggs is suspected to be a cause of food poisoning in multiple incidents in the past few months," Telanaga Food Safety Commissioner said in the order.

Citing the Food Safety Act that empowers the authorities to take action "in cases where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that a food may present a risk for human health," the Commissioner ordered prohibition of the "production, storage and sale of mayonnaise prepared from raw eggs for a period of one year with immediate effect from 30.10.2024".

The government notification also stated that the public would be alerted to potential health risks associated with food products whenever there is reasonable cause for concern.

On Tuesday, a 31-year-old woman died after eating momos from a shop in Hyderabad, and fifteen others fell ill after consuming the snack from other outlets. An initial investigation revealed that these vendors sourced the momos from the same supplier. Days earlier, similar cases of food poisoning were reported at a shawarma outlet, prompting health authorities to conduct raids on shawarma and mandi (a biryani-like dish) outlets across the city.