Campus eatery says no to trans fat

By John Savage, Staff Writer

Some restaurants have made strides this year to eliminate the trans fatty acid used for cooking. Carson’s Catering and Food Concepts is among them.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, higher intakes of saturated and trans fats and dietary cholesterol raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad”) cholesterol in the blood.

An elevated LDL cholesterol level increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease (CHD). To decrease LDL cholesterol and the risk of CHD, substitute monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats for saturated and trans fats, and decrease the intake of cholesterol.

Corrine Aguilar, Carson’s Catering and Food Concepts general manager, said the kitchen is now using non-trans fat oil to keep up with competitors.

She said the kitchen switched to vegetable oil that has not been partially hydrogenated.

According to Ochef.com, unopened vegetable oil will stay good for a year. Once opened, it stays good for four to six months.

“We basically just use that for frying,” Aguilar said. “We use olive oil for cooking and we use a margarine-type oil for the omelets, and for cooking on the grill itself.”

She said the change is one that didn’t have to be made, but the company felt like it was a change for the better.

“We didn’t have to do it but we just like to keep up with our competitors and also we try to serve some healthy things here,” Aguilar said.

She said the change in oil is something most kitchens and restaurants are making.

Some of the items being cooked in the new oil are the chicken strips, tater-tots, French fries, hash browns and fried chicken. She said many students and faculty have made the change without tasting the difference.

Along with different oil, Carson’s also has purchased clear containers that will keep their prices down by cutting down their food losses cost.

Aguilar said this will keep customers happy since they no longer will be asked to open their food containers at the cash register.

Staff Writer John Savage can be reached at StaffWriter2@occc.edu.