Mayonnaise: Every Food Safety Answer

This page pulls together the 6 mayonnaise answers on the site: how long it keeps, whether you can freeze it, how long it can be left out and where it stands in pregnancy. The table gives the short answer for each; the page behind each row gives the full reasoning, the source and the exceptions.

In pregnancy: Shop-bought mayonnaise is generally safe during pregnancy because it usually uses pasteurised egg. Homemade mayo is only safe if made with British Lion eggs.

Worth knowing: Mayonnaise splits when frozen — the emulsion breaks and it turns into an oily, curdled mess on thawing. Emulsions and cultured creams separate when frozen.