Should You Also Be Concerned with Trans Fat? (2/2)

Among the options McDonald's considered is a new breed of oil called high-oleic canola, which can withstand repeated heating in a deep-fat fryer without compromising taste. But it is in short supply and expensive. The annual production of the oil this year will be about a billion pounds and McDonald's would require about a third of that, Mr. Jansen said. At roughly 20 cents more a pound, the switch would cost the company an additional $70 million a year, according to figures offered by Mr. Jansen. And until large users like McDonald's commit themselves to it, oil-seed growers will not produce more. Before being frozen and shipped to restaurants and supermarkets, all frozen fries are given an initial light frying, usually in cheap partially hydrogenated soybean oil. Simplot food scientists recently developed the Infinity fry, cooked in a high-oleic canola blend. The fry takes well to baking in the school cafeteria, where it has found a market. It can also be fried in trans-fat-free oil. The Infinity can cost up to 50 percent more than the average fast-food fry. As a result, it is expected to make up only 1 percent to 2 percent of food sales this year for Simplot, a privately held company with $3 billion in annual sales that was the first to sell frozen fries to McDonald's. Food companies have, for the most part, accepted the word of scientists and are working to remove trans fat, even though they know finding a new oil is going to cost them. Not only does equipment need to be retooled, budgets must be re-examined. Which Restaurant Has Done A Good Job? Jason’s Is The First in The Restaurant Industry to Successfully Accomplished The Removal of Trans Fat This spring the 137-unit Jason's Deli completed a five-year effort to eliminate partially hydrogenated oils, or trans fats, from all of its food items. In all, Jason's Deli converted 47 ingredients once made with partially hydrogenated oils. Jason's also supplies one million box lunches served each year to elementary and secondary school students. All items in those box lunches are now free of partially hydrogenated oils. School box lunches were a priority and one of the first food items "cleaned up," according to Jason's co-owner Rusty Coco. "We are extremely proud of what we have done," said co-owner Joe Tortorice. "No one else in the restaurant industry has successfully accomplished the removal of partially hydrogenated oils on this scale. We are doing the right thing for our customers' health by leading the way on this." http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/qatrans2.html http://www.cspinet.org/nah/6_99/transfat3.html Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company