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eNewsletter Archive
This special news section highlights current issues affecting the frying/restaurant industries.
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2013
Clearing up confusion about differences between types of fats
Q: I get confused when I see the different types of fats on the nutrition facts label. What are the differences and which ones are the best for my health? A: We typically see …
The art of frying
Many modern cooks have never learned to fry. We are convinced that fried food is unhealthy, unpopular and messy. But Norman King, a lifelong Southerner, a registered dietitian and a food editor at Southern Living, is out to change that.
Bacon corndogs, fried bubble gum top list of wild new midway food at Calgary Stampede
The Stampede announced 31 new treats Thursday that will be offered up at this year’s Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth, including several deep fried delicacies and, in true Stampede fashion, snack foods on sticks.
Texas Restaurant Industry Supports Bill To Ban Use Of Trans Fats
Much like laws in the other states that ban restaurants and food eateries from using trans fats, Texas senators are now considering a similar measure in House Bill 1359.
Finding the best fried chicken in Vegas
Crispy-crunchy-savory perfection on the outside, succulently juicy goodness on the inside. That’s what makes fried chicken the official best food of all time. I’m obsessed with it, and my awesome chicken quest will never end. Here are my favorite local versions of the greatest comfort dish ever to exist.
The best of Denver's fried food
To go along with Denver's best burgers in honor of Burger Week, Eater scoured the city for the best fried foods. And because fried food is irresistible, we included some fried stuff that one would eat without the burgers.
French Fry Heaven looks to capitalize on snacking trend
Look out pretzels, popcorn and cookies, there's a new player in the quick-service snack space. And it just so happens this concept offers one of America's favorite fast food staples — french fries.
[California] trans fat ban becomes law
California on Friday became the first state to prohibit restaurants from using artery-clogging trans fats in preparing their food. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation that will ban restaurants and other retail food establishments from using oil, margarine and shortening containing trans fats.
The truth about trans fats, HFCS & sodium
Three ingredients have shouldered much of the blame for the nation's growing health woes. But is the finger-pointing justified? Dr. Ruth Kava isn't concerned with the hype or hyperbole, emotion or ideology. She's after one result: scientific accuracy.
Researchers ask: What’s left to discover about trans fat?
Further research on artificial trans fat and heart health is not necessary, claim the authors of a new review – but there is a need for more research in several other areas related to trans fat.
World Health Organization: Banning trans fat is good health policy
Policies aimed at reducing levels of trans fats in food can be effective without increasing levels of total fat, a systematic review shows.
Southern fried classics get a modern look
Chef, Registered Dietitian and cookbook author Norman King visits NBC’s Today Show to cook up classic Southern dishes, from salad to dessert. (Editor’s note: And he does it with fit frying flair!)
Menu labeling: What’s taking so long?
Researchers say the rule that will specify where and how nutritional information will be displayed on menus—already three years in the making—might benefit from a rewrite.
Could fried food be healthy?
Wish you could enjoy fried food, without feeling guilty? Go ahead! A recent Spanish study found it might not be all that bad for you after all. (Editor’s note: This study reinforces the importance of following the 5 Factors of Fit Frying.)
Awaiting the next generation of fats and oils
Oils and fats provide some essential flavors and functions in food processing, and those attributes are usually juxtaposed against cost concerns when a food processor selects one of these products for an application. During the past decade, however, a larger issue has come to the forefront.
The secret to olive oil’s anti-Alzheimer’s powers
People living in the Mediterranean have a much lower risk of contracting Alzheimer’s disease than those of us stuck in other parts of the world. Researchers … attributed olive oil’s disease-fighting power to high amounts of monounsaturated fats. But now, however, new research shows that a natural substance found in olive oil called oleocanthal is the real hero.
Canola, high-oleic canola oils reduce belly fat in adults
Canola and high-oleic canola oils can lower abdominal fat when used in place of other selected oil blends in a heart-healthy diet for weight maintenance, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s EPI/NPAM 2013 Scientific Sessions in New Orleans on March 21.
NRA: Labeling law should also apply to supermarkets
After a bill was reintroduced last week that would exempt grocery stores and convenience stores from labeling prepared foods with nutrition information, the National Restaurant Association announced the group opposes the new legislation.
FMI: Menu labeling must exclude grocery stores
The Food Marketing Institute has reinforced its position on calorie-count menu labeling — that the federal Food and Drug Administration’s menu labeling regulations should not extend to grocery stores. At a press conference held near the Capitol yesterday, FMI underscored its support of a bill, H.R. 1249, known as "The Commonsense Nutrition Disclosure Act,” that was reintroduced in Congress yesterday.
EU margarine industry sets stricter trans fat standards
The trade association representing margarine and vegetable fats makers in the EU has tightened its Code of Conduct for the third time since 1995, in an effort to reduce trans fat levels in foods and fats at retail.
Are Millenials to blame for potential chicken wing shortage?
Typically, share worthiness and participation are thought about in the context of how Millenials discuss brands online. But share worthiness and participation take a different form when it comes to chicken wings.
Olive oil health benefit: Makes you feel full, boosts mood
Olive oil, when compared to other natural oils and fats, has the greatest effect in making people feel full -- another health benefit suggesting that it can help people lose weight, or at least avoid gaining more.
Videos: Potato 101
Learn how to make french fries and curly fries, and how to deep fry potatoes. Thanks to partner Idaho Potato Commission for this content.
Potato parties: Lessons from the viral sensation turned nightmare
It’s every small-business owner’s dream: for your business to go viral through social media so everybody knows about you. But what happens when the dream turns into a nightmare—when too many people know about your business, you can’t keep up with demand for your product, crowds get out of hand and other customers get turned off?
[Nevada] restaurants, retailers line up against bill to require nutrition information posting
Many of Nevada’s chain restaurants, grocery stores, vending machines and convenience stores would need to label the nutritional information of their food under a bill proposed at the Nevada Legislature.
FDA head says menu labeling ‘thorny’ issue
Diners will have to wait a little longer to find calorie counts on most restaurant chain menus, in supermarkets and on vending machines. Writing a new menu labeling law "has gotten extremely thorny," says the head of the Food and Drug Administration, as the agency tries to figure out who should be covered by it.
Olive oil's high-oleic rivals are mounting
Look out, olive oil. Production of high-oleic acid soybean oil is set to rise 20-fold in less than five years and biotech giants Monsanto and DuPont expect food industry demand to grow fast.
Flavor trends: Eyes on the fries
Beloved fries and tots are taking another turn in the limelight, this time nestling under flavorful sauces and bold toppings.
Revamped FitFrying.com offers more resources to promote healthier frying
FitFrying.com has been updated so that it can offer more resources to foodservice operators who want to fry more healthfully, while still meeting consumer demand for fried foods. Reflecting the high level of attention being given to the topic of healthier frying, the revamped website allows the FitFrying Partnership to focus on providing those resources that operators need most, in the formats they want most.
Kettle chips are back at Cowboy Chicken, by customer demand
Cowboy Chicken, the seven-unit Dallas-based, fast-casual, wood-fire rotisserie chicken brand announced it has brought back its made-to-order hot crispy Kettle Chips due to customer demand.
Mississippi lawmakers say no to local food regulation
No one's trying to take away supertanker-sized soda drinks in Mississippi, but state lawmakers passed a bill Wednesday to make sure they never do. House Bill 1182 would prohibit counties and cities from creating food regulations such as requiring nutritional labeling at restaurants, banning junk foods and keeping toys out of meals.
Idaho Potato Commission announces Heart Smart recipe contest
With a $2,500 grand prize to the winner, the Idaho Potato Commission has announced the start of a Heart Smart Recipe Contest. The contest, with help from fitness guru Denise Austin, began Feb. 8 on MrFood.com and will run through Feb. 24.
Fried food meets opera at Florida park
The cast of Opera Tampa performed for a hungry crowd earlier this week during the mayor's monthly Food Truck Fiesta. As the audience devoured some of the best fried delectables in the city, they were treated to Verdi, Puccini, and many other classics by a talented crew.
[Pittsburgh] Health Department highlighting trans fat-free restaurants
Whether you're cooking up some fries, sautéing vegetables, or frying some fish, what you cook it in can make a big difference for your health… Now, the Health Department is reporting which new local restaurants use trans fat-free cooking oils.
Wing Zone Wants Women to Take a Skinny Dipper
With many diners across the country still trying to make good on their New Year's resolutions to stick to a healthier diet, Wing Zone is trying to cash in on their hard-fought efforts. Its newest chicken product, Skinny Dippers—unbreaded, 100 percent white chicken breast that's fried and flavored-fused in one of the brand's 17 flavors—plays up this health angle.
Chelsea (Mass.) [Board of Health] to review postponement of trans-fat ban
The City of Chelsea Board of Health will review a regulation adopted in 2011, but whose enforcement has been postponed, that bans the use of artificial trans fat in products sold by food establishments. The BOH will take up the matter at their next regular meeting scheduled for February 19 at 5:30PM at Chelsea City Hall. The ban would require food establishments to discontinue the use of artificial trans fats that can often be found in vegetable oils, butter substitutes, shortening, margarine, cake mixes and frosting.
The Decline of Trans Fats
It’s been seven years since the FDA began requiring all packaged foods to list trans fats on nutrition labels. Now, health benefits are beginning to appear.
Consumers Crave More Potato Products, Datassential Says
Recent consumer potato consumption trends point to significant growth opportunities for the U.S. potato industry, according to new research unveiled at Potato Expo 2013.
Bar Bites: Chicken-Fried Steak Nuggets with Beer and Bourbon Gravy
When I need a chicken-fried fix, I forego the hefty sides altogether and instead opt for a cold beer because, sometimes, a beer is the only side dish you need for chicken-fried steak.