Students can now feel less guilty about choosing fried food over the typical healthy menu options on campus. With Campus Dining and Shops (CDS) in the process of switching cooking oils to help improve the health of students, it will soon be possible to indulge in fried foods that are slightly healthier and still tasty.
CDS is currently working on switching cooking oils because of the high trans fat content. Either Mazola ZT or Frymax ZT will be replacing the Sysco cooking oil previously used in campus foods.
Trans fat is found in high quantities in the oils currently being used and greatly increases heart disease and other cardiac health risks.
According to Jeff Brady, the assistant food director for CDS, the taste of the food needs to be consistent for the switch to be made. One of the main factors in deciding which oil will be used is the taste value of the product.
"I've surveyed about 30 students and have heard nothing but positive results," Brady said.
Even though these oils are healthier, they still preserve the quality of the food without the use of flavor-enhancing additives. These oils have a longer shelf life than the conventional brand, but it is more costly.
"The oil we've been using for years costs about eleven dollars a carton, but the stuff we're testing now costs almost 30 dollars a carton," Brady said.
While switching to the new no-trans fat cooking oil will more than double the cost of purchase, it won't affect the prices of meal plans or food at campus eateries.
"It's the cost of doing business. We're hoping that the doubled costs will balance out down the road," Brady said. "To increase meal plan prices everything would have to increase."
One of the healthier features of Frymax ZT is that it can supposedly reduce LDL cholesterol in a person's body, while Mazola ZT does not. LDL cholesterol is considered "bad" cholesterol and is linked with heart disease.
Both of the new cooking oils will break down faster when used to deep fry breaded items verses non-breaded items. This is the main factor when judging the shelf life of the oil; the longer the shelf life, the more money UB saves, and eventually the cooking oil will pay for the doubled costs.
According to Brady, Campus Dining and Shops is performing this process as a gesture of responsibility to the student population, and hopes that the new oil will help students make healthy food choices.
"I'm glad we're being pro-active, because it's for the students," Brady said.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
