Kao Corp. will enter the mayonnaise market in early September with a product that uses its low-fat Econa cooking oil.

The leading household chemicals maker said Tuesday its Healthy Econa Mayonnaise Type will mainly target health-conscious consumers. Kao will suggest retail prices of 348 yen for a 250-gram pack and 498 yen for a 400-gram pack.

The prices are about twice as high as mayonnaise made by Q.P. Corp. and Ajinomoto Co., which dominate the local market with a combined 90 percent share.

Econa cooking oil, which will make up about 65 percent of Kao's mayonnaise, was released in 1999. According to the company, the proportion of oil that turns to neutral fat in the human body is less than half that of conventional cooking oil.

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has designated the oil as a special health food.