A recent food fight found an outspoken chef and a strong-minded dietitian dishing on all things edible.
J. Hugh McEvoy and Shirley Vouris, the current and immediate past presidents of the Chicago Nutrition Association, often butt heads on the subject of food and health for the sake of consumer enlightenment.
In the center of the debate ring this time were trans fatty acids, the latest villain targeted in the quest for more healthful eating.
McEvoy and Vouris, who really are good friends when not debating, add some seasoning to what has become a national food fight over obesity and disease.
“We do completely agree that trans fatty acids are bad for you when you eat them and that there is no good amount,” said chef McEvoy, director of culinary development for a national corporation.
The Food and Drug Administration announced in July that it will require nutrition labels to include amounts of trans fatty acids in packaged foods by 2006. Frito-Lay has already introduced trans-fat-free versions of some of its snacks. Chicago-based Kraft, the nation’s largest food manufacturer, said in July that it plans to cut the amount of trans fat in some of its products.
Just how, no one quite knows yet, but when they do the new fat substitute no doubt will be heralded by manufacturers.
For now, the trans fats are difficult to replace. McEvoy explained that some foods, such as baked goods made without ingredients derived from trans fats (like shortening), “taste like cardboard.” Trans fats are formed when food manufacturers pump hydrogen into polyunsaturated oils in order to make foods more shelf-stable.
But trans fats also raise low density lipoprotein (bad cholesterol) levels in the body and increase the risk of heart disease. Saturated fats, already on food labels, have the same effect. Trans fats also may reduce levels of good cholesterol, some experts believe, making them worse in their eyes.
The new trans fat information will be listed right under saturated fats, making it easier for consumers to know how much total, harmful fat a product contains.
They’re bad but taste so good
“Hydrogenated oil helps foods keep longer and gives a desired texture and mouth feel,” said Cindy Moore, a spokesperson for the Chicago-based American Dietetic Association. “Manufacturers want to create products that taste good because that’s the main reason consumers purchase them.”
That explains the pervasiveness of trans fats in many crackers, cookies, chips, baked goods, stick margarine and frozen entrees, among many other processed foods, Moore added.
Foodies, who will fight to the death for their butter may have an easier time with reducing trans fat intake, she said because they love to cook, tend to value natural, whole ingredients and have a disdain for serving processed products.
“I’m concerned about all the people who aren’t foodies, people who don’t cook or don’t like to cook,” Moore said. “They’re in trouble right now because there aren’t other choices. The only choice now is to start cooking. It helps to realize there are things you can do to make food that tastes good and is good for you.”
The FDA vs. food industry?
McEvoy, a longtime research chef, food label writer and consultant to many of the largest U.S food manufacturers, said he believes that “the federal agencies that make recommendations often publish them prematurely and then have to flip flop later on, which is both expensive and difficult for manufacturers and confusing and disheartening to the average consumer.” He referred specifically to the food guide pyramid, which has been criticized by food manufacturers and some nutrition professionals as too vague to realistically help Americans eat healthier.
He added that food companies and nutrition professionals need not be at odds.
But Vouris said “the government is trying to get people to eat better; people who work in the field of nutrition are not trying to confuse the public.”
“I am a foodie,” McEvoy said. “I run races, am in extremely good health and I eat foie gras and butter. I had prime beef last night, and I will believe to my dying day that the amount of fat in your diet is not what it’s all about. Gourmet eating is not bad. Gluttony is bad. It’s in relation to the amount of exercise. A triathlete can eat 10,000 calories a day in Snickers bars . . . “
“But his hair might fall out and he may have cancer if he’s just eating those,” Vouris countered. “I believe in consumer education, and I know that funding for nutrition education is minimal. You can’t make people understand concepts unless they are simply put. I agree that it’s not just whether a person eats butter or not. There’s exercise, genetics, environment.”
“Human beings do what is enjoyable and easy,” McEvoy said. “Most aren’t going to keep a log of how many calories or grams of fat they consume every day. They aren’t gonna do it. I have a 90 percent (weight loss) success rate over four years by telling people to eat lots of colors, eat smaller portions and walk to the store to get them.”
According to Moore, manufacturers will play a huge role in removing harmful fats from most Americans’ diets simply by reformulating products and giving non-cooks a variety of healthier options.
“The important thing is what do people eat instead of that cracker and that’s where the new formulations come in. Manufacturers did provide low-fat products before, but now the swing is toward low fat with a better mouth feel. The industry has learned a lot from the last fat-free round.”
Cutting trans fats
The Food and Drug Administration estimates that within three years after trans fat food labeling is available, Americans will change their eating behavior, which will prevent 600 to 1,200 cases of coronary heart disease and 250 to 500 deaths per year. The average American consumes about 5.8 grams of trans fat per day. The FDA says that total intake of saturated and trans fat should be less than 20 grams per day for people eating about 2,000 calories a day. Total fat intake should be less than 30 percent of total calories. The American Heart Association offers these tips to reduce levels of trans fat:
– Use naturally occurring, unhydrogenated oil such as canola or olive oil when possible.
– Look for processed foods made with unhydrogenated oil rather than hydrogenated oil or saturated fat.
– Use margarine as a substitute for trans fatty-butter, and choose soft (liquid or tub) margarine over harder, stick forms. Use margarine with no more than 2 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon and with vegetable oil as the first ingredient.
– French fries, doughnuts, cookies and crackers are examples of foods high in trans fatty acids.
For more information, see the FDA Web site at www.fda.gov.
–R.A.
– – –
How fats affect cholesterol
Not all fats are created equal. The following chart breaks down how different types of fats are thought to affect cholesterol levels in the body. High density lipoprotein (HDL) is a “good” package for cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL) is a “bad” package for cholesterol.
Type of fatty acids, effects of blood lipids
Saturated: Increases total cholesterol, increases LDL cholesterol
Polyunsaturated: Lowers total cholesterol, lowers LDL cholesterol, lowers HDL cholesterol
Monounsaturated: Lowers total cholesterol, lowers LDL cholesterol, may increase HDL cholesterol
Omega-3: Lowers triglycerides, lowers total cholesterol
Trans: Increases total cholesterol, increases LDL cholesterol, may lower HDL cholesterol
Source: American Dietetic Association
