Overview
About Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise is not a single ingredient, it is egg yolk, oil and an acid like vinegar or lemon, so its trigger profile is the sum of a few borderline parts rather than one big one.
It carries moderate sulfites (graded C), sits borderline on histamine and salicylates (both B), and because it is egg based it does not fit an egg-free or EoE elimination plan. None of these is severe alone, but together they explain why mayo shows up on reaction logs more than a plain oil would.
Sensitivities
How Mayonnaise scores
Watch for
What trips people up
- Moderate sulfites (graded C), which can come from the vinegar and preservatives in commercial jars and bother sulfite-sensitive people
- Borderline on histamine and salicylates, a low-level double that adds up if you already react to aged or salicylate-rich foods
- Egg based, so it does not fit an egg-free or eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) elimination diet
- The oil is usually a refined seed oil, which is why it grades only middling on the anti-inflammatory scale
Diet fit
Where it fits
Swap ideas
More alternatives
FAQ
Common questions about Mayonnaise
Is mayonnaise high in histamine?
Mayonnaise is only borderline on histamine (graded B), not high. The bigger histamine risk with mayo is age and storage: an opened jar left warm, or a homemade batch kept too long, lets histamine climb. Fresh and cold, plain mayo is a moderate rather than a strong trigger.
Why does mayonnaise bother me when the ingredients seem harmless?
Because it stacks several small triggers at once. It has moderate sulfites, is borderline on histamine and salicylates, and is built on egg and refined oil. Any one is minor, but the combination is why mayo can provoke a reaction where a single clean fat would not.
Does mayonnaise contain sulfites?
Commercial mayonnaise can carry moderate sulfites (graded C), largely from the vinegar and added preservatives. If you are sulfite sensitive, check the label or switch to a plain oil, which carries none.
References
Read the background
Ratings reflect the Triggerbites ingredient database and may vary with portion size and preparation.