Flavor and The Menu
Spring 2006
www.flavor-online.com

Can Frying Be Healthy?

While frying is not the lowest-calorie food preparation option, it can be healthful. The challenge is to deliver on customers' cravings for the crispness and crunch of fried food without putting their health at risk. Innovatons in all segments of the industry - from food and oil manufacturers to equipment makers and foodservice operators - are helping to mke fried food a nutritionally sound option.

Let's start with the obvious. Trans fat (trans fatty acid, or TFA) has been identified as top healthy offender in the food business. January 1, 2006, marked the starting date of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's labeling law requiring retail food products to carry trans-fatty-acid content on nutrition disclosures.

Trans fats are created when hydrogenation turns liquid vegetable oil into a solid, thus increasing shelf life, fry temperatures and flavor stability. Trans fats are present in hardened vegetable oils, most margarines, commercial baked goods and many fried foods. Scientific reports confirm that trans fats reduce HDL (good) cholesterol and increase LDL (bad) cholesterol, a contributory factor in heart disease. Also, essential omega-3 fatty acids appear to be destroyed in hydrogenation process.

With the FDA ruling, consumers have more information to make better in-store choices that could lower their consumption of trans-fatty foods. The ruling will also make consumers more aware of transfats in the foodservice setting, prompting some preemptive strikes to minimize trans fats in prepared foods and in frying equipment across the nation.

To read the entire article "Fit To Be Fried", download PDF.