Michael > wrote:
>
>> > werewolf > wrote:
>> >
>> >>Mayo is also sold non-refrigerated in the US. But once it's opened it
>> >>needs to be refrigerated. I think that mayo might be responsible for
>> >>more food poisoning than any other food - that's the impression I get,
>> >>anyway.
>> >>
>
>Comercial mayo is too acidic to go bad unrefrigerated.

I was going to disagree that it was acidic enough, then
I read this:

http://www.hi-tm.com/Documents/Mayonnaise.html

Commercial mayo uses pasteurized eggs to prevent
contamination and an acidity low enough to keep it
that way.

That explains why I like the store-bought better than the
mayo I make. I never think to add that much acid to mine,
and I miss the depth. Time to experiment.

I like the part where that paper talks about spoiled
mayo as still being safe because of pH. There's a whole
industry growing up around the concept of "safe spoilage."
I can't remember if we discussed it here or over in
rec.food.cooking or in sci.bio.food-science.

>It's the mixtures of
>mayo and whatever (tuna, cabbage or the like) that go bad and send you to
>the pottie.

I don't think the mayo is the culprit in any case.
That stuff about not leaving mayo-containing foods out
applies to all perishables.

--Blair
"Hey look! Raw fish!"