AP Features, August 9th, 2007
No one would ever confuse the deep-fried snack cakes or corn fritters served at the Indiana State Fair with health food. But at least this year they will not be cooked in artery-clogging trans fat oil.
Indiana is the first state to ban trans fat cooking oils at its fair, an annual toast to farm life and fun that opened Wednesday.
The move follows decisions by cities such as New York and Philadelphia and fast-food chains _ including KFC, Wendy's and McDonald's _ to phase out the use of the artificial oils that can raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol.
Fair spokesman Andy Klotz said the ban did not rattle food vendors because 70 percent were already using trans fat-free oils. The others soon came on board, agreeing to be supplied by the fair with healthier alternatives made from soybeans and corn.
"It's just the way things are going in their world and they understand that," Klotz said.
The trans fat ban only applies to fried foods served at the fair, where the menu ranges from crunchy, greasy onion "blooms" to deep-fried Snickers and Milky Way candy bars and Pepsi-infused fried dough.
But fairgoers should not fool themselves into thinking they can splurge on the temptations, said Ruth Kava, director of nutrition for the American Council on Science and Health.
Regardless of the cooking oil, deep-fried food is still a high-calorie gut-buster.
A fried Twinkie snack cake has 420 calories and 34 grams of fat, while a funnel cake _ a fried dough confection often dusted in powdered sugar _ harbors 760 calories and 44 grams of fat, according to the online food database http://www.calorieking.com.
"If you're going to deep-fry a Twinkie, it's still going to be a deep-fried Twinkie, no matter what kind of fat you put in it or cook it in," Kava said. "It's not going to hurt anybody to take trans fats out, but I'm very skeptical that it's going to make any difference."
Still, Marla Calico, a spokeswoman for the International Association of Fairs and Expositions, expects more fairs to follow Indiana's lead. Calico, whose Springfield, Missouri-based group represents about 1,300 fairs and festivals, said there is a move among some West Coast fair food vendors to switch to trans fat-free oils.
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On the Net:
Indiana State Fair http://www.in.gov/statefair/fair/
