Trans Fat Ban-Pro
Trans Fat Ban-Con
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Second Life foodies, who would of thought?
Chef B
- Chef Burnett
- Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
- Frances Ponsford Burnett, M. Ed. C.H.E., C.M.B., C.E.P.C. College of Culinary Arts-Senior Instructor Frances Burnett, Columbia '07 recieved a masters in Education, JWU ’90, holds a bachelor’s degree in Food Service Education and an associate degree in Baking & Pastry from. After graduating from JWU and working as a pastry chef for the Daily Bread in Providence, R.I., she worked as a consultant for the National Honey Board, Calif. Raisin Advisory Board and Flaxseed Council of Canada on behalf of Thomas Payne Market Development in San Francisco. Earlier in her career, Burnett worked for Marriott International in Los Angeles, San Diego, Bermuda and New York as a pastry chef/baker/task force trainer, traveling to new hotels to open bakeries. She also worked at Bristol Farms Market in California as bakery supervisor. She is one of a handful of women in the country to hold the prestigious title of Certified Master Baker and is also a Certified Executive Pastry Chef and Certified Hospitality Educator.
8 comments:
I'm not really sure if thiw is what I'm supposed to post here, but if not I figure you'll let me know.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16051436/
basically this is an artical on the trans fat ban in NY city. It basically talks about how bad trans fats are with a small bit about how they're cost efficient and have a long shelf life. I feel as I do about most things that you just have it in moderation. Trans fats are bad for you, but so are the alternatives. It's more like choosing the lesser of two evils. I feel that this ban is somewhat like prohibition and that even with the health trends as they are there is still a demand for a cheap unhealthy food. The ban of trans fat will push prices up causing the health concious to pay the price for their choices. Those who cannot pay and those who just don't really care will still make up a fair portion of the market that will buy trans fatty foods and as long as there is a demand there will be a supply. Much like the low carb trend I fill that this will soon pass and it's an obstacle the culinary industry will have to wait out. Don't get me wrong, I'm no pro cheap and unhealthy. I feel that you do what you can to make your product as quality, cost efficient, and consumer friendly as possible, but when it comes down to it, it's a business and you do what you have to do to stay in business. If it requires you to sacrifice a bit of quality or healthfulness then that's what you have to do.
While no one will deny the harmful effects of trans fats, what is the point in banning trans fats only to replace them with another extremely harmful fat? As culinary professional, I think it is our place to find solutions that keep the public's best health interest in mind and not simply sufficing a ban.
It is clear, in our nation today, the growing problems that American face in terms of weight. The population is not only overweight but clinically obese, as according to the New Strategist Editors, Americans are carrying around approx. 20-30 lbs. more weight than they were 40 years ago in all age groups. With obesity comes many increased health risks that the American population as a whole pays for in the end. One health risk that can be easily seen in the overweight population is the drastic rise of type II diabetes. unfortunately, type II diabetes is not expected to be slowing as Modern Nutrition projects 300 million cases be 2025.
With all the cases of type II diabetes, one must ask where does it come from and why? The answer is simple " a blood test showed that you have too much glucose...in your blood" (American Diabetes Association). With the general population knowing how great a problem this sugar is and how massive a problem America is facing it is clear that a drastic measure has to be taken and that is why I feel we should stop producing all of the sweets that are so tantalizing to the American population. Without all of the temptation the risks won't be there. Simply get rid of the pastry chefs and it will stop the cause to stop the hurtful effect.
American Diabetes Association. "A Field Guide To Type 2 Diabetes." 2004 Port City Press, INC
Shils, Maurice. "Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease." Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006 Baltimore
The New Strategist Editors. "American Men & Women." New Strategist Publications, Inc. 2006 Ithaca
In the early 1980's people began to use trans fats because they had found that while they did raise cholesterol, they didn't raise it as much as saturated fats. "That's why margarine was once thought to be better for you than butter"(Hobbs, 17). But today we know that trans fats cause very risky coronry artery disease, and they raise the bad cholesteral levels.
Now we have decided to take them out of out food due to new health findings. We have even found that saturated fats are better for you than trans fats. New York State, has even made it illegal to use trans fats in their food products. Many states are beginning to follow suit and are now trying to make their citizens as healthy as possible.
Works Cited
Hobbs, Suzanne. Get The Trans Fats Out. Three Rivers Press. New York. 2006.
Julien, Ronni. The Trans Fat Free Kitchen. Health Communications INC. 2006.
In the early 1980's people began to use trans fats with the belief that they were healthier for you than saturated fats. While trans fats did slightly raise your cholesteral in the early studies it didn't raise it as much as the saturated fats that are commonly found in red meats. "That's why margarine was once thought to be better for you than butter" (Hobbs,17). But today we know that trans fats cause very risky coronary artery disease and that they will, in the long run, raise the bad cholesteral more than saturated fats.
Now we have to take trans fats out of our foods and replace them with the saturated fats that we had originally taken out. We know today that saturated fats aren't the best thing for you but they are better for you than trans fats. New York State is even leading the charge in the fight against trans fats. They have made it illegal for foods to contain trans fats forcing companies to become trans fat free. Other states are now following their lead as well trying to make their states a healthier place.
Hobbs, Suzanne. Get The Trans Fats Out. Three Rivers Press. New York. 2006.
Julien, Ronni. The Trans Fat Free Kitchen. Health Communitcation INC. 2006.
A trans fatty acid is a type of fat thought to increase the risk of heart disease. Trans fats cause heart disease because of the hydrogenation of the fat. Since this is the worst kind of fat for your body I would opt not to eat it. Not only do trans fat clog your arteries, it helps make people gain weight. Although there is a high demand for non trans fats, these days people are finding it harder and harder to stop eating them. Why? Because trans fats are used in many convenience and packaged products. The addiction of trans fats add stability and a longer shelp life, making it easier for grocery stores to stock up on them.
Starting in 2006 the FDA required that saturated fats be listed on food labels. Ever since then companies have started puting out baked products (like chips) and trans fat free products. In my opinion I think it is god for companies to realize that trans-fats are helping them but killing off their customers. It's ok to eat trans fats in moderation but when trans fat becomes all there is to eat there becomes a problem.
Sources:
Morgan, Jorj and Jody Whipple
Good fat, Good Carb Meals. New York
The Pengin Group 2005
James, Delores Ph.D. Nutrition and well Being A-Z. MI, The Gale Group 2004
This is my lame attempt to recreate what I wrote in class yesterday (that I left underneath table 5)- except scaled down from 1 page front and back :)It goes without saying that my source (a library book) will not be cited in this but I will update tonight.
My view is this: why ban transfats, even if they are absolutely horrible for you, if they're just going to be replaced with something that may not affect you as much but still aren't completely "innocent" themselves. As a vegetarian and "health nut" (a true trail-mix eating 'tree-hugger') I even suprise myself at my own response. I don't really put anything bad into my body - I haven't touched a McDonald's french fry in I-don't-know-how-long. However, I have been at this school since it opened in '04. I have seen the culinary side and now the baking side and I know first hand that while the products we prepare, more often than not, are not what we'd call ideal for our bodies they all still have their place. We all are aware that a certain type of shortening achieves ideal results for certain sepcific cakes, etc. despite the fact that they are hosed down with some weird hydrogen-based chemicals. Yet upstairs on level 3 "blue-knecks" are busy rendering fatback till their hearts are content (hah rather ironic isn't it??). Is that any better for you?? Mmm haricots verts a la heart attack. No, the answer is simple. It's really not. The difference: natural versus unnatural. Which doesn't make it any better in my book.
One more thought: Eat more tofu.
~Rebecca S.
I am personally against the trans fat ban. I can understand people wanting alternative products that do not use trans fats in them but I do not think they need to be all together banned. Trans fats have been proven to lead to Coronary heart disease (CHR) which is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, but that does not mean that trans fats are completely responsible for CHR. I am not saying that trans fats are good for you but if they are eaten in moderation they will probably not be the cause of someone getting CHD. So, I think we should try to find alternatives to make products healthier, but I don't think it is necessary to ban them.
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2003/503_fats.html
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