From the Jan/Feb 2007 issue of
Wisconsin Restaurateur Magazine

Too Many Cooks
Wisconsin restaurants work on trans fat alternatives as
WRA fights looming bans and menu labeling laws

by Sonya Bice

Some Wisconsin restaurants have already completed the process of getting trans fat off their menus. Others are researching the issue, experimenting with alternative fry oils and shortenings, and talking with their suppliers to find workable substitutes. Meanwhile, the Wisconsin Restaurant Association is fighting to keep government out of the restaurant kitchen and to block trans fat bans and menu labeling proposals such as the one recently adopted in New York City.

With an industry-wide race already on to switch to zero trans fat ingredients and fry oil, WRA and NRA say that in this instance, government mandates are especially unnecessary and could actually backfire if they set deadlines without an assurance of adequate supplies of alternatives.

If there are Wisconsin restaurant operators who think concern about trans fat is some kind of a New York fad, the rest of the industry has a message: wake up and smell the Mazola ZT.

“We don’t foresee this issue going away,” says Susan Quam, executive director of the WRA Education Foundation and the association’s expert on food safety and nutrition. “The science is there.”

Sheila Cohn Weiss, director of nutrition policy for the National Restaurant Association, explained the industry’s public stance on the question of trans fats this way: “We’re not here to contradict the science or to say that trans fats are healthy. Because that’s not the case. Debating that doesn’t accomplish anything. Science shows that trans fats contribute to heart disease and that they are not a healthy fat, and there are substitutes available.

“It is in everyone’s best health interests to move away from trans fats, and that is what the industry is doing.”

Everyone now concedes that the scientific evidence linking artificial trans fats (usually just called trans fats) with heart disease is overwhelming, and that the less trans fat a person consumes, the better. But the devil is in the details. How can virtually an entire industry make a smooth transition from trans fat-containing products that have been so widely used?

NRA and WRA part ways with health advocates on outright bans or, what some consider worse, labeling requirements aimed at restaurants—variations of which were passed in New York City and are currently pending in 11 states— saying that they give too little consideration to the facts on the ground, such as availability of alternatives and the time it takes operators to find suitable substitutes for particular menu applications.

“Because there are alternatives, and because companies are moving away from it, we support that. We just need more time though. Six months is not enough,” Weiss said. “A lot of restaurants that have eliminated or at least reduced trans fats have taken up to two years to do so in order to be able to find an adequate supply and also the appropriate type of oil that meets their needs in terms of cooking times—and taste, most importantly.”

She also points out that some alternatives that are high in saturated fat aren’t much of an improvement, nutritionally speaking. “Certainly, as we move away from trans fats, we want to make sure that we avoid any unintended consequences, and that we take into consideration both trans fat and saturated fat.”

As it became clear that the battle against trans fats would affect virtually all Wisconsin operators in one way or another, the staff of WRA began working to get the facts that members would need and get response from members on their concerns. WRA quickly conducted an informal statewide survey asking members what they needed from WRA. The survey gave the association a snapshot of where operators in various industry segments are in implementing their own transitions from artificial trans fat-containing products. (A majority of those responding—73 percent—said their customers were concerned about trans fat; almost half were no longer using fry oil with trans fats. And of those who still use such oil, half are actively considering a switch to a zero trans fat version.) WRA lobbyist Peter Hanson has begun discussing the issue with legislators to help educate them on the difficulty of banning such a widely used ingredient. And WRA added a free seminar on what operators need to know if they choose to go trans fat free to its educational programming lineup on March 13 at the Wisconsin Restaurant Expo. Staff is currently developing tools such as a list of questions to ask suppliers that will soon be available on WRA’s web site.

WRA had an unusually high response rate to its survey, and it was clear from responses that trans fat was on the radar of a majority of those who responded. Operators in all segments reported having switched at minimum their fry oils or being in the process of doing so. Others, however, remained skeptical that their customers cared much one way or another and were wary of increasing costs.

Trans fat transitions
Matt Moyer is executive chef of Great Dane Pub and Brewing Co., which has three Madison locations. Moyer believes in being ahead of the curve.

“It’s an imminent change in our industry that’s going to go this direction anyway, so we might as well be out in the forefront of making changes,” he said. “And also, for the wellness of our employees who dine here and the wellness of the general public who dines here – those would be the big reasons for what we’re doing.”

Great Dane Pub and Brewing’s staff started discussing a couple of months ago how to put together a plan of action on making the transformation, as well as the financial impacts on the business, and the benefits. The management team then spent weeks identifying all the products that contain artificial trans fat in all of the menu items.

“Fortunately for us, we make most of our food from scratch, so it’s a little bit easier for us to make a transition. A couple of the big things we’ve done—we’re now using a high oleic fryer shortening, which contains no trans fats. We’re switching our French fries to a ZTF product, we’ve eliminated the use of any kinds of margarines, and we’re just using 100 percent butter.”

The area that’s causing the biggest difficulties, he said, is the desserts and pastries served at Sunday brunches. “I’ve had numerous meetings over the last couple of weeks with food brokers, and I’ve given them lists of products that I’d like to see alternate options for. We’ve also discussed revamping our dessert menus and making everything in-house.”

The restaurants plan to virtually eliminate artificial trans fats by the time they do the biannual menu update March 20. The alternatives do come with an added cost. Moyer estimates that just the fryer shortening change adds a cost of $5,000 to $6,000 at each restaurant per year.

So why change? “We like to be in the forefront. Our customers are intelligent and health-conscious. As executive chef, I work at all three restaurants, and every shift I work, there is an inquiry about trans fat or the fryer oil. If one person is inquiring, I believe there’s ten to fifteen that are wondering about it but not asking.”

Chris Runnalls, executive vice president of Summit Foodservice, sees a lot of Summit’s customers moving away from trans fat ingredients and fry oil. “Everybody’s realized,” he says, “that this is the next big thing.”

He describes the trans fat-free oils as “premium products,” and says they come with a premium price. His recommendation to restaurants that do choose to switch is that they capitalize on the decision: “Some of the zero trans fat manufacturers have marketing materials prepared for restaurants who switch. If a restaurant is going to use this they should definitely market it and let their customers know, hey, we are looking out for our customers. If I, as an operator, am going to almost double my frying oil cost, I’m going to let my customers know. If restaurants change frying oils and don’t tell anybody, they might as well be frying in lard.”

He likened it to a gas station putting premium gas in its regular gas pumps without telling its customers that they were now getting premium gas. “If they did it without telling me, even if I notice that my car is running better, I’ll have no idea why.”

Runnalls said customers who wanted to eliminate trans fats were generally having little difficulty switching frying oils but that they are finding it significantly more difficult to change to trans fat-free ingredients in baked goods without negatively affecting the taste.

Jim Womack, technical service manager for Cargill Foods, a manufacturer, agreed that baked goods present unique challenges. “In my opinion, baked goods represent the most difficult food category to get to zero grams of trans per serving and maintain the same texture and flavor profile as the current formula,” he said. “Most bakers have used the same shortening for many years, and changing to a shortening with no trans fat per serving can include changing mix procedures and formula adjustments.” WR

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This article is reprinted with permission from Wisconsin Restaurateur magazine. Wisconsin Restaurateur is a bimonthly publication of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association and is sent to all WRA Members as a member benefit. The magazine keeps members up to date on the latest industry trends.

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