2013: Trans Fats busted

In my research on the new trans fats labeling laws, I found, in my opinion, a very serious infraction being perpetrated on American consumers by the food companies….. If you have been out label shopping lately, you have probably come across labels reading “0 Grams Trans Fat“, in foods such as margarine, bean dips, chips, and many other foods that typically contain the notoriously dangerous trans fats, known as “partially hydrogenated oil, hydrogenated oil, and vegetable shortening”. If you look at the “Ingredients:” portion of the label, you will still see these hydrogenated oils listed in the content of the foods, sometimes listed as a third ingredient, as in the Frito Lay Bean Dip, indicating a higher weight than ingredients listed toward the end. I called Frito […] Read More

Why McDonald’s Fries Taste So Good

By Eric Schlosser Excerpt From Eric Schlosser”s new book ”Fast Food Nation” (Houghton-Mifflin, 2001) From The Atlantic Monthly THE french fry was “almost sacrosanct for me,” Ray Kroc, one of the founders of McDonald”s, wrote in his autobiography, “its preparation a ritual to be followed religiously.” During the chain”s early years french fries were made from scratch every day. Russet Burbank potatoes were peeled, cut into shoestrings, and fried in McDonald”s kitchens. As the chain expanded nationwide, in the mid-1960s, it sought to cut labor costs, reduce the number of suppliers, and ensure that its fries tasted the same at every restaurant. McDonald”s began switching to frozen french fries in 1966 — and few customers noticed the difference. Nevertheless, the change had a profound effect […] Read More