Trimming the fat
Madison to use zero grams trans-fat fryer oil in campus dining halls
By Lauren Searson, staff writer
Posted on February 12, 2007

JMU Dining Services is undergoing a conversion or, perhaps, a reformation. The school’s catering business will be switching its fryer oil to a non-trans fat substitute.

In a recent press release, Aramark Higher Education announced that the conversion, already implemented at Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia, will be in effect at its 400 dining locations by the end of March.

Aramark worked with suppliers, dietitians and chefs to identify a product that provides the same taste consumers enjoy in a non-hydrogenated corn and sunflower oil containing zero grams of trans fat.

Said Angela Ritchie, marketing program manager for JMU Dining Services: “We are now using this zero grams trans-fat fryer oil in all of our locations that offer fried items except at Chick-fil-A and Burger City, where we use peanut oil.”

The peanut oil at these two locations also contains zero grams of trans fat.  The FDA defined the trans-fat fryer oil as having 0.5 grams per serving or less.

The Aramark press release said this announcement was in response to research revealing consumers are more concerned than ever with their intake of trans fats.  According to its 2006 Nutritional DiningStyles Research, 27 percent of American adults feel strongly about limiting their trans fats intake in meals purchased outside of the home, which is an increase from the 21 percent in 2005.

University nutritionist Michele Cavoto said trans fats form when the chemical composition of a fat is changed — such as when a liquid fat is hydrogenated to make it a solid.  Most trans fats in processed foods come from the processing itself. 

“Trans fats have a direct link with increasing LDL — the bad type of cholesterol — and increases the risk for heart disease,” Cavoto said.

In January 2006, an FDA regulation required prepared food manufacturers to include trans-fat information on the nutritional labels of packaged goods. Aramark has also been working with registered dietitians and manufacturers to develop ways to identify and reduce saturated fats in recipe ingredients and prepared foods.

Senior Psychology major Cassie Class is glad the university is making a switch, “Although personally I try to avoid fried foods, and I can’t imagine this change making much of an impact on my diet,” she said.
Ritchie said this information has been added to the Dining Services Web site and signs have been created to help get the word out.

A recent Richmond Times-Dispatch article said the new oil costs about $3 per case, and the costs for individual schools depends on the school population, number of kitchens, and how frequently the oil is changed. Students should not see their meal bills “fatten” as a result of the switch, said Aramark spokeswoman Leanne Scott Brown.

“As their job at Dining Services, they make sure they offer healthy choices and that they’re doing their best to make sure clients are getting trans fat-free foods that would be a healthier choice,” Cavoto said.