If Not Trans Fats, What Then?

Food Industry Scrambling In Big Bucks Race For Healthier Fats

(AP)  KFC's announcement that it will eliminate trans fats from its cooking oil puts more pressure for alternatives on companies that make and distribute the oil.

So far, no single, all-purpose product has been developed to replace the hydrogenated oil that once seemed the answer for the packaged- and fast-food industries.

Amid the continuing outcry about the evils of trans fats, why has it taken so long to get them out of products?

Oil producers have been experimenting with new versions for years but have been slowed by the complexities involved, according to Robert Reeves, president of the Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils, a trade association representing the refiners of edible fats and oils. He said it takes at least eight years to develop new seed varieties.

But he added: "You'll see more and more of these oils in the future. Given another five years, the conversion will be largely complete."

Numerous alternatives have emerged, including the trans fat-free soybean oil that KFC said Monday it will be using in its U.S. restaurants by April. Palm oil, cottonseed oil, high-oleic canola and sunflower oil and low-linolenic oil all have been developed with the anti-trans fat trend in mind. But not enough are on the market to meet heavy demand.

"It's a rather sophisticated and complex process to remove these fats," Reeves said. "There are structural and functional characteristics that must be maintained in the products you're trying to mimic and substitute for. And there are supply considerations that have to be made."

Most importantly, companies must be sure that consumers will accept the change. In 2002, McDonald's Corp. pledged to switch to a healthier cooking oil for its french fries but delayed the plan indefinitely a few months later, citing product quality and customer satisfaction as priorities.

Hydrogenated oil is a $1.5-billion-a-year business in the United States, so large manufacturers have a lot at stake.

Archer Daniels Midland Co. has been touting its NovaLipid, a no-trans-fat cooking oil it launched in 2003. Cargill Inc. and Bunge Ltd. have cited their focus on developing soybean varieties that yield less trans fat than hydrogenated oils. Archer Daniels Midland and Bunge did not return calls Monday when asked for comment about the KFC announcement.

Cargill spokesman David Feider said the Minnesota-based company has been researching the issue for a decade or more. In addition to searching for new oils, the company has explored eliminating trans fats through alternative processing techniques and reformulating existing oils, Feider said.

"We can't overemphasize how challenging this undertaking is," he said. "Reducing trans fats while maintaining the taste and texture consumers want involves trade-offs for food companies in terms of functionality, taste, texture and cost. There is no drop-in solution."

But the packaged-food industry is pushing hard for replacements as it introduces scores of new products designed to meet accelerated consumer demand. Mintel International Group, a Chicago-based consumer research firm, says there have been 1,021 new products introduced in the U.S. this year featuring low, reduced or no trans fats, compared with 689 for all of last year and 365 in 2004.

Mintel analyst Maria Caranfa, a registered dietitian, called the KFC announcement a step in the right direction.

"It's going to bring out some innovation in the fats and oil companies," she said.

[kfsd327]

The constitution gives us freedom of choice. We choose whatever. We can choose to patronize the fast food places that serve what may be considered unhealthy for us and risk committing slow suicide by opening ourselves up to who knows what kind of diseases or we can choose wisely and eat healthy food designed to keep us freee of disease. The choice is YOURS - Not anyone elses!

[shadowasl]

The bottom line is you have a choice. You have a choice about what you eat. You can choose to educate yourself about what you are putting in to your and your children's bodies, or a choice to stay ignorant. If you choose not to educate yourself about what is going in to your body, it is your fault for getting fat and unhealthy.

[cathysw]

By the grace of God and the vigilance of Libertarians, we are still able to make a great many of our own personal choices in such things as what fast foods we want, and whether we will feed those things to our children. Many people in this country are willing Socialist accomplices in wanting to remove the parents' freedom to feed their children fattening fast foods. It's for their own good; it's better to take away their freedom of choice than to let them make those children unhealthy with a trans-fat-filled diet. (Huh?!) Always, the liberal Socialist is smarter than everyone else. That makes it okay to control the ignorant masses. History is filled with people who claimed to be smartest; people who knew what was best for everyone else; people who want to herd the stupid sheep into pens--feed them, clothe them, send them out to work, then bring them home in the evenings to the hovels, pay them a minimum wage--TAKE CARE OF THE STUPID PEOPLE who can't take care of themselves, or their fat little children. All because they are smarter and know what's good for everybody.

People, beware of the person who wants to take care of you! To do that, they will take away all of your freedom and liberty. Adolph Hitler, Stalin, Fidel Castro--those terrible dictators told the willing masses who were starving and desperate that they would be taken care of by the "state", and provided homes, food, clothes, schools, etc. They only had to sacrifice freedom, liberty, self-respect!

[brackattack]

the problem is the government and these so called medical professionals are taking away our rights. usa is supposed to be a "free" country do you really think that people would eat fast food if they new it was healthy i doubt it. who cares if alot of people are overweight thats their decission to consume the food. If i wanna weigh 500lbs then its my choice i dont need the government sayng i cant enjoy the food i eat at a fast food resturaunt. If i dont get it at Mc D's or KFC then i buy pure lard and deepfry things myself as i do. Down with health up with FAT FAT FAT

[khen1950fx]

I'd like to point out that KFC's decision to switch to soybean oil is problematic. Soybeans are allergenic. Millions of Americans are allergic to soybeans or are soy-sensitive. I'm allergic to soybeans---even trace amounts cause problems for me. Why can't they find a healthy replacement?

[talkingham]

Oh really shadow -what-the-huh- I don't recall any announcements from the food industry when they started replacing natural foods with this slop. I live in a city in the deep south where 40% of adults are functionally illiterate. I just don't have time to read lables to all of them. And, of course, it's a child's fault when they have parents who can't read.

The choice to put this poison in food was made by the crooks in the food industry and it doesn't add a thing to the taste or the quality of the product. It just fattens their bottom line and gives us 20 year olds with clogged arteries. I haven't met many teens who are very good at reading food labels or who understand the consequences of eating these corporate approved poisons that are in virtually every cracker and cookie on the shelf. It's a totally sold-out and irresponsible profit at all cost motive. You sound like a good republican. There's hamburger containing the parts of as many as a thousand different animals waiting for you at Burger King.

[shadowasl]

Hey TalkingHam, stop playing the mindless zombie victim card. Consumers always have a choice about what they and their children eat. If you get fat and unhealthy from eating fast food, it's your own fault. You choose what you put in your body. It's time for people to take responsibility for their lives and their decisions.

I think what KFC is doing is great, but remember, they are only doing it for money. If the market didn't demand it, they wouldn't be doing it.

[talkingham]

I keep hearing this utterly stupid argument about "choice." The choice to put these poisons in our children and ourselves was not made by the consumer but by the greedy corporate giants who are also filling your children so full of corn syrup that they will have the weakest heart health of any generation. Strangely, trans fats were hardly in use before 1980 and french fries and cookies tasted just as good in the '70's if not better. I just bought some Newman's own non-transfat chocolate chip cookies and they are excellent. The choice to put these poisons in food was not made by the consumer but by sick, irresponsible greed merchants who run major corporations. It's far cheaper to fill your food full of hydrogen and corn syrup than it is to give you a healthy product. Don't be so STUPID, especially for the sake of your children. Better living through chemistry - NOT!!! They hardly use this poison in Europe. Why are we so stupid?

[cathaleen]

Let's see:
1: Drinking is bad for you = but red wine
is good.
2: Fish is good for you = but mecury is bad.
3: Red Meat is bad for the heart = but Dr. Atkins
says it's good.
4: Spinach may carry ecoli - but is good for you.

When will it stop.

Everything is good moderation. Let's stop having
these so-called experts tell us what is good for us. Because they change their mind every day.

[ladyhayek]

Even though smoking is dangerous to our health, people still have the chioce to do so. So even though trans-fats are dangerous to our health, why can't people still have the option to consume them? And besides, there are no 'second-hand' trans-fats to harm people who choose not to consume them, as in smoking. No trans-fats means no flavor.