Dressings and sauces.

Dressings and sauces include mayonnaise, spoonable and pourable salad dressings, condiment sauces (e.g., ketchup, barbecue sauce, spaghetti sauce). The Association for Dressings and Sauces (ADS) reports the U.S. sales of dressings (including mayonnaise) in 2000 was $2.9 billion (U.S.) with a growth rate of 3.9%. Food dressings vary widely in their composition, texture, and flavor. A listing of some of the most widely known dressings and their fat compositions is given in Table 1. Dressings cover a broad spectrum of oil–water composition and some products are defined on the basis of their oil content. In the United States, standards of identity require that mayonnaise contain at least 65% vegetable oil by weight (some brands of mayonnaise contain 80% or more oil), a minimum of 2.5% acetic acid (vinegar for microbial preservation; citric and malic acids may also be used provided they are not greater than 25% of the weight of acetic acid), and eggyolk-containing ingredients which may be liquid, frozen, or dried (the yolk provides emulsifying properties and, in addition, gives the mayonnaise a pale yellow color). Spoonable salad dressings may be very similar to