Article
Trans fats: On or off the menu?
Lawsuits and consumer trends say it's time to change.
October 16, 2006
No matter what operators think about the trans-fat debate, consumers and politicians want change.
Since the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) sued Kentucky Fried Chicken for the use of trans-fats in June, trans-fats have become a hot-button issue for lawmakers. Just a week after New York City health officials proposed a ban on trans-fats, state Sen. Ellen Karcher (D) drafted a bill to follow suit in New Jersey.
Karcher, the vice chairwoman of the committee on health, human services and senior citizens, said the bill is part of a larger effort to curb childhood obesity.
"We need to make sure that we arm our children and protect our children from things out there in the world that could be detrimental to their health," Karcher said.
Deborah Dowdell, president of the New Jersey Restaurant Association, said trans-fats were offered as a better option five years ago when health officials encouraged restaurants to cut out saturated fat. Now, these officials are coming after trans-fat.
"What's next? Don't sell ice cream?" Dowdell told the New Jersey Herald. "Is this really the way to cure the ills of society?"
But still, whether trans-fat bans occur, consumer demand is pointing toward trans-fat-free foods.
"There's consensus of the dangers of trans-fats," said Erica Bohm, director of strategic partnerships for Healthy Dining and healthydiningfinder.com. "Trans-fats are linked to an increased risk of heart disease. They're more dangerous than saturated fat."
According to the NPD Group, consumers wise about trans-fats. Of the adults surveyed, overall awareness of trans-fats was 94 percent and overall concern was 73 percent; women and Baby Boomers were the most concerned. Of those aware of trans-fats in foods, 65 percent believed that restaurant food was more likely to contain trans-fats than the food eaten at home.
"One might conclude that the restaurant industry is at a tipping point," said Bonnie Riggs, foodservice industry expert for The NPD Group. "If public pressure requires restaurant operators to make nutritional information easily accessible, it could impact consumer purchasing of foods high in trans-fats."
A Dow AgroSciences study found that 87 percent of restaurant owners would change frying oils if they knew it could decrease trans-fats and saturated fats without compromising taste or cost. Some brands have already made the switch completely.
Although McDonald's and other large-scale chains are testing trans-fat-free oils, the largest quick-service brand to make the change has been Wendy's. Since August, the Dublin, Ohio-based QSR has been using trans-fats-free oil.Pat & Oscar's, a 17-unit fast-casual chain in San Diego, removed trans-fat from its menu in June, following a similar strategy by Panera Bread in February.
"We had some guests that were inquiring about trans-fats," said Amy McGuinness, Pat & Oscar's director of purchasing and culinary development. "It's quite the buzz in our region, especially with the local news reporting on the grocery stores labeling their food. Our promo and campaign for 2006 was 'Get Fit in '06,' so it really fit into what we were doing as a concept."
Pat & Oscar's began testing trans-fat-free recipes last August with cheese sauces, brownies, roasted potatoes and breadsticks. The transition to a completely trans-fat-free menu was a gradual one; new breadsticks went through five or six variations before non-trans-fat soybean oil replaced hydrogenated oil successfully.
"Our biggest item to take to zero trans-fat was our breadsticks," McGuinness said. "We wanted to make sure we got the same flavor profile and that it cooked and served the same as our other product."
McGuinness said the process to perfect Pat & Oscar's breadsticks took six months. The chain also altered recipes for its cheese sauce, a broccoli cheese soup and a baked brownie.
"The brownie was the biggest difference," McGuinness said. "We couldn't get an exact match, but we were willing for it to be a little different in taste because we sell a small amount of brownies — less than 1 percent of sales."
The win-win of zero trans-fat
Operators don't have to sacrifice taste when making the switch. Assisting operators in the quest to reduce or eliminate trans-fats from their menus are food producers like Dow AgroSciences, which offers new cooking oil options, particularly oil derived from canola and sunflower seeds.
A study by the Department of Food Sciences at the University of Lethbridge in Canada found that these new oils have more than a 50-percent greater fry life when compared to other cooking oils. The study, led by Roman Przybylski, Ph.D. and professor of food science, compared the fry life and performance of 10 cooking oils used to prepare three different foods (french fries, chicken and fish) in a restaurant-style rotation.
"The superior fry life translates into a highly cost-effective option for the foodservice industry," Dzisiak said.
The additional cost of making food without trans-fat is negligible, McGuinness said, and the company does not plan to pass along the costs to diners. At 17 stores, the scope of changing the menu was feasible. And even if the chain grows to 100 locations or more, the increased costs associated with using more healthful oils already will be worked into the business plan, McGuinness said.
The changes soon will be highlighted in Pat & Oscar's advertising and on its menus.
"For the restaurant industry, we're probably going to head in the direction of ingredient labeling on menus," McGuinness said. "As people get more educated and are able to make wiser choices in their food selection, they're going to want that. It may not reach the point where we have to, but eventually it will get to the point where the customer base will require it."
Did you know?
In announcing that food sold in its theme parks and resorts will be trans-fat free by the end of next year, Walt Disney Co. encouraged McDonald's Corp. and others to eliminate trans-fats from their menus.
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