When you buy par-fried French fries, the fries contain the oil that was used for the par-frying. You need to purchase French fries or other food items that have been par-fried in non-partially hydrogenated oil.
If you use French fries or another food item that have already been par-fried in partially hydrogenated oil before they reach the restaurant, the partially hydrogenated par-fry oil will mix with the oil that you have poured in the fryer and get into the food. As you continue to fry without changing the oil, as much as 50% or 60% of the oil in the fryer may be the par-fry oil! As a result, you may violate a trans fat labeling or ban regulation.
We asked a leading expert to advise you how to select the best zero trans fat par-fried French fries. The expert's comments are below.
Selecting Zero Trans French Fries
"The good news is that the industry has been working on trans fat solutions for several years, and there are a lot of zero grams trans fat options available in the marketplace already with many more on the way. If the specific fry you currently use isn’t already providing zero grams trans fat per serving, check with your manufacturer to find out when they plan to convert that item. You may have to choose between waiting until that specific item is ready to convert and selecting a different item.
As you begin exploring your fry options, there are a number of things you will want to consider:
Will your customers notice a difference in your fries – texture, taste?
If customers notice a difference, will they like the new product at least as well as your current offering if not better?
Will there be any operational differences due to the changed parfry oils – "clumping" of frozen fries, oil leaching onto the packaging, increased “dust” or crumbs in the fryers that cause faster oil breakdown?
Are other items being prepared in the same fryers that will add trans fat to the fryer oil and cause your fries to pick up trans fat?
Will there be a difference in costs or issues with availability?
Will there be other nutrition trade-offs in order to reduce the levels of trans fats?
Will your larger serving sizes provide zero grams trans fat per serving?
While the food industry is constantly evaluating the ever-growing number of new oil options available, so far most fry manufacturers are using one or both of two major approaches for the par-fry step.
The first approach is to use either a single liquid vegetable oil like canola or blend of similar oils.
The second approach is to use a blend of liquid oils with some more stable fat.
Liquid vegetable oils will provide very low trans fat levels, generally 2% trans fatty acids or lower. There may be levels of trans fat present in all edible oils that are created when raw oils are processed for human consumption. The levels are low enough per serving that the oils can be labeled as "zero grams trans fat" per the applicable FDA regulation. In addition, liquid oils like canola may provide lower saturated fat levels in par-fried products than partially hydrogenated oils, which is a positive health benefit. However, liquid vegetable oils are less stable than partially hydrogenated oils. The lower stability may cause "clumping" of frozen product, oil leaching into the packaging, and reduced fryer oil life due to increased crumbs and "dust" left in the fryer oil. Because these oils are liquid at room temperature, the outer texture of the fries may not be as crisp. Some liquid vegetable oils may impart flavors unique to those oils.
Lightly hydrogenated oil blends include a mixture of liquid oils with partially hydrogenated oils. The combination may provide much of the stability associated with partially hydrogenated oils. However, the product labels may still include partially hydrogenated oil. Also, due to higher trans fat levels in these oils than in straight liquid vegetable oils, the maximum portion size that will qualify as zero grams trans fat per serving will be smaller.
Oil blends that blend liquid vegetable oils with vegetable oils that are solid at room temperature, like palm oil eliminate many of the issues associated with liquid oils alone. These blends will generally have higher saturated fat levels than canola oils, but can be blended to remain neutral for saturated fat content to products made with partially hydrogenated oils.
All of the options available will require some trade-offs. The best solution for your operation will be the product that requires the fewest trade-offs in the areas that are the most important to you. Talk to your manufacturers. Test products in your own operations. Most importantly, if you are claiming zero grams trans fat per portion, check the trans fat levels in your prepared products in real situations – at the beginning of oil life, part way through the oil life cycle, and at the end of your fryer oil life cycle to ensure that nothing that is increasing the trans fat levels beyond zero grams per serving."
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