Trans Fats

Trans Fats

There has been much concern expressed recently about the levels of trans fats in foods; these are the fats produced by cooking in oil, and are deemed to increase the risk of heart disease.

Supermarkets have been quick to cash in on, the latest food fad, by offering food free of these fats. However, restaurants are a little slower off the mark.

The main problem being that the oils used, that produce the trans fats, are cheap. A better source of fat, ie healthier, is peversely hard fat such as butter and lard.

Some restaurants are eliminating these trans fats. In the USA, an East Coast chain of 30 restaurants Legal Sea Foods has eliminated trans fats from its menu.

Seemingly, fries present one of the toughest challenges to restaurants. They usually arrive at restaurants blanched, or precooked, in oil with trans fats. So even if a restaurant has switched to a healthier oil, french fries can still have trans fat. But manufacturers are starting to offer trans fat-free fries.

Ultimately it will be the actions of the customers, that will determine whether restaurants eliminate trans fats from their menus.