Ban on trans fat not likely here soon
But some restaurants already made change
By Scott Rochat
Saturday, December 9, 2006
Earlier this week, New York became the first city in the nation to ban artificial trans fatty acids by law. Usually listed as “partially hydrogenated oil,” trans fats are often used in cooking oil, shortenings and margarine and can be found in a wide range of foods (see chart). But according to some studies, trans fats can also increase the risk of heart disease.
Hence the ban. But for large chains that use a lot of trans fats, such as McDonald’s, compliance isn’t as easy as it sounds. Not without a stockpile of substitute oils, anyway.
“There is not enough system-wide to make the conversion possible,” said Kay Shandler, who co-owns the local McDonald’s restaurants with her husband, Craig. “Which is why McDonald’s has not committed to replacing it,” “It’s a supply-and-demand issue. I know McDonald’s intends to replace its trans fats as soon as possible, but it’s just not possible right now.”
The fast food franchise uses trans fats to fry items such as french fries and chicken. Ironically, Shandler said, trans fats had once been proposed as a healthier alternative to beef tallow, which McDonald’s formerly used to cook its fries.
“How do you win?” she asked.
“If trans fats were the magic answer to the whole obesity situation, I could understand it,” she said. “But it’s one small piece to a larger puzzle. Let’s get physical education back into the schools for an hour a day. Let’s do things that have a longer-lasting impact.”
Of course, a New York ban means nothing in Kansas. But even if the measure came to Emporia, not every restaurant would be affected equally.
“The oils I use have no trans fats in them,” said Bob Doudican of Bobby D’s Merchant Street Barbecue. “So I guess I’m already in line with what New York City’s already done, but I’ve done that for quite some time.”
Ryan Murphy, the owner of Wheat State Pizza, said all of his crusts use canola oil instead. His pizza places meet regularly to discuss how to make the food healthier, he said, such as by using a lower-gluten wheat to prevent digestive problems.
To Murphy, the New York ban sounded great.
“I would push for that law to pass in Kansas,” he said. “I would love it.”
He admitted that that wasn’t likely to happen for some time.
“The Midwest will probably be a little behind here,” Murphy said. “You’ll see it more on the West Coast after the East Coast. Then you’ll see it move to the Midwest in four or five years.”
Shandler didn’t consider a Kansas ban likely or necessary.
“Kansas tends to be a little more ... what’s the word? ... realistic than New York,” she said. “I think the state of Kansas has more critical issues on its plate.”
Even if it happened, she said, McDonald’s would have made the changeover long before a law passed.
The best solution, Shandler and Doudican both said, would be for consumers to take a more balanced approach to eating.
“I think some moderation is in order,” Doudican said. “You eat your salads, your fruits and vegetables, and then you splurge some.”
hjcary (anonymous) says...
Wow that is great what New York did. It is about time the government did something for the good of public health. That is good to know which restaurants are trans fat free. I give applauds to Bobby D’s Merchant Street Barbecue and Wheat State Pizza for taking care of their customers. You know if you feed your customers garbage they will die earlier. If you feed them healthier choices your customers will be your patrons longer. It’s about supporting your profession. I once was working with a respiratory therapist and he happened to be a smoker giving a neb treatment to someone with emphysema. I asked how he could smoke seeing the result every day and he jokingly said "hey I am just supporting my profession." Same goes for restaurants you don’t want to “poison” your customers. If anyone ever read how they manufacture trans fats they would never eat them again.
December 9, 2006 at 1:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )