Coleslaw dressing: sugar, salt and the fat that carries carotenoids

In a randomized crossover of 16 adults who ate the same salad with 0.99 oz (28 g) of one of four test fats, emulsified fat raised carotenoid absorption by 40% over the same fat unemulsified, and olive oil beat coconut oil by 55%. Emulsified fat was a model for mayonnaise-style dressings, and nobody in that trial ate coleslaw dressing. We found no study of coleslaw dressing itself, so this page leans on research about salad dressing and mayonnaise. The dressing is also a sweet, salty condiment. In the USDA survey database a typical 1.1 oz (31 g) serving carries about 125 calories, 10.7 g fat, 6.6 g sugars and 264 mg sodium, figures recalculated from 100 g for an average recipe that brands do not all follow. A 16 g tablespoon comes to about 63 calories.

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• In the USDA survey database, a typical 1.1 oz (31 g) serving of coleslaw dressing carries about 125 calories, 10.7 g fat, 6.6 g sugars and 264 mg sodium, and a tablespoon (16 g) about 63 calories. — US dietary survey food, Coleslaw dressing Evidence E source
  31 g: 125.2 calories, 10.7 g fat, 6.6 g total sugars, 263.5 mg sodium; 1 tbsp 16 g: 63.0 calories; 1 cup 250 g

What your body absorbs

• In a randomized crossover of 16 adults, emulsified fat with a salad raised carotenoid absorption by 40% over the same fat unemulsified, and olive oil beat coconut oil by 55%. — 16 adults, identical salad with 0.99 oz (28 g) of one of four test fats (n = 16) Evidence B source
  Total carotenoid iAUC 1-10 h 40.0% higher with emulsified fat; 55.2% higher with olive than coconut oil
• In 18 healthy adults eating broccoli in random order, broccoli with mayonnaise raised serum lutein and beta-carotene more than plain broccoli, while oil alone did not differ significantly. — 18 healthy adults, single broccoli test meals (n = 18) Evidence B source
  IAUC of lutein/zeaxanthin and beta-carotene higher after mayonnaise meal than control; oil meal not significantly different

What it does to your health

• In a 4-week randomized double-blind crossover of 34 young adults, 20 g a day of soybean-oil mayonnaise lowered LDL cholesterol by 6.6 mg/dL (0.17 mmol/L) versus palm olein mayonnaise. — 34 healthy Malaysian adults, mean age 23, 20 g/day mayonnaise for 4 weeks per arm (n = 34) Evidence B source
  TC -0.25 mmol/L (P=0.001), LDL-C -6.6 mg/dL (-0.17 mmol/L) (P=0.016), HDL-C -4.6 mg/dL (-0.12 mmol/L) (P<0.001) vs palm olein mayonnaise

Safety, limits and interactions

• In a Sydney barbecue outbreak with 71 cases, raw egg mayonnaise in a Russian salad was the most likely source of Salmonella, with 10-fold higher adjusted odds of illness. — 87 identified attendees of a privately catered barbecue, 71 cases (n = 87) Evidence C source
  Adjusted OR 10.3 (95% CI 1.79-59.5) for the raw egg mayonnaise Russian salad; 18% of cases hospitalized
• When a homemade recipe calls for eggs that stay raw or undercooked when served, FDA advises shell eggs treated to destroy Salmonella or pasteurized egg products, and names children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems as at greater risk of severe illness. — US consumers, with children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems named as at greater risk Evidence E source
  Use shell eggs treated to destroy Salmonella or pasteurized egg products in raw or undercooked egg recipes

What people believe that the data does not support

• In a randomized crossover of 7 adults eating the same salad, carotenoid absorption was negligible with fat-free dressing and highest with full-fat dressing containing 28 g canola oil. — 7 adults, single salads with dressings of 0, 6 or 28 g canola oil, washouts of 2 weeks or more (n = 7) Evidence B source
  Alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and lycopene in chylomicrons negligible with 0 g; higher with 6 g (P<0.04); higher again with 28 g (P<0.02)

Who this works differently for

• Among 152 preschoolers, children sensitive to bitter taste ate 80% more raw broccoli when it came with salad dressing than when served plain. — 152 mostly Hispanic preschoolers in Head Start classrooms, 7 weeks (n = 152) Evidence C source
  Bitter-sensitive children ate 80% more broccoli with dressing than plain (P<0.001); no effect in bitter-insensitive children

What is still unknown

• In 12 women each eating five salads with 0 to 32 g soybean oil in the dressing, absorption of all carotenoids and fat-soluble vitamins was highest at 32 g, though some women barely responded. — 12 women, five single salad meals with dressings of 0, 2, 4, 8 or 32 g soybean oil (n = 12) Evidence B source
  Absorption highest with 32 g oil (P<0.002); linear dose effect for alpha-carotene, lycopene, phylloquinone; wide interindividual variation

The bottom line

The belief that a fat-free dressing makes the healthier salad does not hold for carotenoids. In 7 adults eating the same salad, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and lycopene barely reached the blood with fat-free dressing, rose with 6 g of canola oil and rose again with 28 g. That was a very small single-meal study. In 12 women given five salads with 0 to 1.1 oz (0 to 32 g) of soybean oil in the dressing, absorption of every carotenoid and fat-soluble vitamin was highest at 32 g, and some women barely responded at any dose. The group was small and all female, and a dressing maker funded the work. In 18 healthy adults, broccoli with mayonnaise raised blood lutein and beta-carotene more than plain broccoli did, while oil alone did not differ significantly from either meal. On cholesterol, the only trial compared two mayonnaises with each other. In 34 young Malaysian adults eating 20 g a day for 4 weeks per arm, soybean-oil mayonnaise lowered LDL cholesterol by 6.6 mg/dL (0.17 mmol/L) against palm olein mayonnaise, and HDL fell by 4.6 mg/dL (0.12 mmol/L) too. It tells you nothing about dressing against no dressing. Dressing may help some children eat raw vegetables. Among 152 preschoolers, those sensitive to bitter taste ate 80% more broccoli with a dip than plain, and the rest ate no more. That was a quasi-experiment with a ranch-style dressing served as a dip or sauce, and it measured broccoli eaten, not the salt and sugar the dressing adds, 264 mg of sodium and 6.6 g of sugars in a 1.1 oz (31 g) serving. The one safety finding is about homemade mayonnaise made with raw eggs. At a Sydney barbecue with 71 cases, a Russian salad with raw egg mayonnaise was the most likely source of Salmonella, with adjusted odds of illness 10.3 times higher (95% CI 1.79 to 59.5), and 18% of cases went to hospital. That was one outbreak, and it does not show that any homemade raw-egg dressing is safe if handled well. FDA does not name coleslaw dressing, but for homemade recipes with eggs that stay raw or undercooked when served it advises shell eggs treated to destroy Salmonella or pasteurized egg products. It names children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems as at greater risk of severe illness. That advice covers homemade raw-egg versions only. We have no card on how to store an egg-based dressing, on whether bought dressings use pasteurized eggs, or on egg allergy or medicines for this dressing, and that gap is not a sign of safety.

Sources

1. csdr-daily-r8-08 · Food composition data
   Coleslaw dressing (FNDDS 83103000, fdc_id 2710200): 1 tablespoon 16 g 63.0 KCAL; Quantity not specified 31 g 125.2 KCAL, total lipid 10.7 G, total sugars 6.6 G, sodium 263.5 MG; 1 cup 250 g
   USDA FNDDS, Coleslaw dressing, code 83103000, fdc_id 2710200 · checked 2026-09-30
2. csdr-daily-r8-03 · Randomized crossover trial
   Similarly, the positive iAUC1-10h of TC, α-carotene, and lycopene were 55.2%, 110.8%, and 45.8%, respectively, higher with olive oil than with coconut oil. Emulsified fat induced 40.0% greater positive iAUC1-10h of TC than nonemulsified fat.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2023 · checked 2026-09-30
3. csdr-daily-r8-04 · Randomized crossover trial
   The incremental areas under the curves (IAUCs) of serum lutein/zeaxanthin and beta-carotene concentrations were higher after the MS meal than after the CON meal. IAUCs after the OIL meal exhibited no statistically significant differences from the CON and MS meals.
   J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo), 2009 · checked 2026-09-30
4. csdr-daily-r8-05 · Randomized crossover trial
   RESULTS: Treatments resulted in significant reductions in TC (diff = -0.25 mmol/L; P = 0.001), LDL-C (diff = -0.17 mmol/L; P = 0.016) and HDL-C (diff = -0.12 mmol/L; P < 0.001) in SB-mayo compared to PO-mayo without affecting LDL-C:HDL-C ratio (P > 0.05).
   Lipids Health Dis, 2016 · checked 2026-09-30
5. csdr-daily-r8-07 · Outbreak cohort
   Microbiological evidence confirmed that a number of food items were contaminated with Salmonella Typhimurium 108/170, with the raw egg mayonnaise used in a Russian salad being the most likely primary food vehicle (adjusted odds ratio=10.3 [95% confidence interval 1.79-59.5]).
   Foodborne Pathog Dis, 2011 · checked 2026-09-30
6. sf-eggsafe-r6-coleslawdr-1 · agency advice
   For recipes that call for eggs that are raw or undercooked when the dish is served — like Caesar salad dressing and homemade ice cream — use either shell eggs that have been treated to destroy Salmonella, by pasteurization or another approved method, or pasteurized egg products...Certain people are at greater risk for severe illness and include children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems (such as transplant patients and individuals with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and diabetes).
   US Food and Drug Administration, What You Need to Know About Egg Safety · checked 2026-10-08
7. csdr-daily-r8-01 · Randomized crossover trial
   After ingestion of the salads with fat-free salad dressing, the appearance of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and lycopene in chylomicrons was negligible. After ingestion of the salads with reduced-fat salad dressing, the appearance of the carotenoids in plasma chylomicrons increased relative to that after ingestion of the salads with fat-free salad dressing (P < 0.04). Similarly, the appearance of the carotenoids in plasma chylomicrons was higher after the ingestion of salads with full-fat than with reduced-fat salad dressing (P < 0.02).
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2004 · checked 2026-09-30
8. csdr-daily-r8-06 · Quasi-experimental trial
   Bitter-sensitive children, however, ate 80% more broccoli with dressing than when served plain (P<0.001); effects did vary based on whether regular or light dressing was provided as a dip or sauce. Dip did not promote broccoli intake among bitter-insensitive children.
   J Acad Nutr Diet, 2012 · checked 2026-09-30
9. csdr-daily-r8-02 · Randomized crossover trial
   Absorption of all carotenoids and fat-soluble vitamins was highest with 32 g oil (P < 0.002)... However, the effect varied widely, and some individuals showed a negligible response.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2017 · checked 2026-09-30