Formulation and characterization of omega-3 fatty acid enriched mayonnaise containing flax seed oil and chia seed oil

Abstract Omega-3-enriched healthy but heat-sensitive flaxseed and chia seed oils were used in the formulation of mayonnaise, at a 20:80 (w/w) ratio with rice bran oil and mayonnaises named MFO and MCSO, respectively. Mayonnaise, an oil-in-water emulsion, is typically not heat-treated during preparation. The study evaluated the mayonnaise samples’ rheological, chemical, and sensory properties, function groups, and shelf-life analysis. All mayonnaise samples exhibited pseudoplastic nature, with consistency indexes ranging from 1.46 to 2.94. pH decreased during the 90-day storage period, but it was the least for MCSO. Sensory evaluation on nine-point hedonic scale showed satisfactory results for all mayonnaise samples, with MCSO receiving the highest overall acceptance score of 8.71. The omega-6: omega-3 ratio of MFO, and MCSO was in the recommended range of 1–5. As there was no heat treatment, no significant deteriorations were found in the chemical characteristics and the fatty acid profiling of the extracted oils from mayonnaise.