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Furnishings & DecorMCCAIN TACKLES TRANS FATTY ACIDS
Health care professionals and the media continue to highlight the negative effects that trans fats have on health and wellbeing. With the increase in heart disease and the role played by trans fats, there is an increasing need for consumers to limit their trans fat intake by making wise food choices.
Any food with "hydrogenated oils" or "partially hydrogenated oils" on the label contains trans fatty acids. Researchers believe such foods may be more damaging than regular saturated fats to people watching their cholesterol, saying trans fatty acids decrease the good (HDL) cholesterol and increase the bad (LDL) cholesterol, which may increase the risk of heart disease.
The invention of the hydrogenation of oils method – which means to chemically transform oils from their normal liquid state (at room temperature) into solids – was intended to improve the stability of fats or oils during food production processes, and provide a better shelf life. During the hydrogenation procedure, extra hydrogen atoms are pumped into unsaturated fat, thereby creating trans fatty acids.
The key to lowering trans fats is to only eat foods that have been prepared using non-hydrogenated vegetable oil.
But eating wisely doesn’t necessarily mean limiting your intake of all the foods that you enjoy. It’s good news then that all McCain chips are trans fat free!
Q: What are trans fatty acids?
A: Trans fatty acids are a form of unsaturated fats occurring naturally in animal and dairy fats. Found in beef and mutton fat, dairy products and, to a lesser extent in pork and poultry fat, they are heart unhealthy fats as they have the ability to increase blood cholesterol levels.
Q: What foods contain trans fats?
A: A major source of trans fatty acids in modern diets has been margarine and other baking, frying and ingredient fats, which may be included in products such as biscuits, crackers, flaky pastry, pies, cakes, confectionery, ice cream, fried snacks and fast foods. They are found naturally to various degrees in beef and mutton fat, dairy products and pork and poultry fat.
Q: What are the health effects of trans fatty acids?
A: Trans fatty acids have a more negative effect on cholesterol levels than do saturated fats and are therefore heart unhealthy. They not only contribute to raising total cholesterol levels, but also reduce the amount of HDL (good cholesterol) in the blood. There is no conclusive evidence that trans fats are harmful in the average diet as they occur naturally in most foods, but global and local nutrition experts recommend that trans fats should be reduced in the foods we eat, and not added to a diet from additional sources, as they are not an essential fat.
Q: Are McCain chips trans free?
A: McCain only uses non-hydrogenated oil for all its chip offerings, therefore ensuring that McCain chips are trans free when they leave the factory. This is an important and healthy step for our consumers, particularly when you consider that McCain not only supplies the bulk of the consumer market through retail stores, but also through fast food and quick service restaurants.
Q: McCain chips are trans free – does this mean that whenever I eat McCain chips they will be trans free?
A: The final amount of trans fats in McCain chips depends on how the product is ultimately cooked. If they are McCain Real Ovenbake chips, then they will remain trans fat free after cooking. If they are cooked in hydrogenated oil, the level of trans fats will increase dramatically. This means that both the choice of oil and the process of cooking will greatly influence whether the end product is trans free.
Q: How are McCain chips prepared at the factory?
A: McCain only selects top grade potatoes for their chips. The potatoes are cut into chips, blanched in water, dried and flash fried in palm oil (or canola/sunflower oil in the case of Real Ovenbake Chips). The chips are then cooled down and frozen to -18°C. After freezing, the chips are packed into bags that are formed, filled and sealed by packaging machines and are then distributed in refrigerated trucks, where the temperature is controlled and monitored.
Q: Why does McCain use oil when making frozen potato chips?
A: The oil is used to flash fry the chips in the factory to improve the texture of the frozen chips. It makes the chip crispier on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. It also reduces the amount of oil that is soaked up during the cooking process in the home or in a restaurant. McCain chips pick up about 5% oil when deep-fried, whereas handmade chips pick up about 22% oil when fried. Remember also that McCain chips are trans free.
Q: How much fat is in McCain chips?
A: All McCain chips contain less than 5% fat when packed. This level changes when the chips are cooked, depending on the cooking method used. On average, ovenbaked and microwave chips will finally have around 5% fat while frozen fried chips contain 10% fat, and homemade chips about 22% fat.
Before you subject yourself and your family to the harmful effect of trans fatty acids, think again…… Think McCain!
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