Eat'n Park goes trans fat-free
The move comes on the heels of a growing number of health experts who are concerned over the link between trans fat and a higher risk of heart attacks and increased cholesterol levels.
19/08/05 The United States, Eat'n Park Restaurants announces it will replace its cooking oil for French fries, chicken, and other fried foods with trans fat-free oil to better meet the needs of today's guests.
The move comes on the heels of a growing number of health experts who are concerned over the link between trans fat and a higher risk of heart attacks and increased cholesterol levels.
To initiate the effort, Eat'n Park, which operates 10 restaurants in the Cleveland area and will soon add another in Elyria, Ohio, in fall 2005, partnered with the Center for Food Innovation at Penn State University to assess what manufacturer and fat-free product would best meet the company's cooking and taste requirements.
After more than a year of research and testing, Eat'n Park selected trans fat-free canola oil from Cargill, Inc., which originates from canola seeds produced by Bayer Corp. In addition to being trans fat-free, canola oil also has only one gram of saturated fat per serving - an added health benefit.
According to Brooks Broadhurst, vice president of purchasing for Eat'n Park Hospitality Group, the switch to trans fat-free oil will provide guests with healthier food, as well as a fresh, cleaner taste.
The move will be completed by late-September in all 79 restaurant locations across Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, as well as among the Eat'n Park Hospitality Group's Parkhurst Dining Services and CURA Hospitality business units.
Trans fat oil is the creation of partial hydration, an industrial process that changes the properties of oils used mainly for baking and frying. Over time, trans fats can raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or "bad" cholesterol levels and, at the same time, reduce high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or "good" cholesterol levels.
Low carb dieters can select from a variety of Eat'n Park favorites offering low net carbs. The chain also participates in the National Restaurant Association's "Just Ask Us" program, which provides consumers information about healthy restaurant eating.
The Eat'n Park Hospitality Group is a portfolio of foodservice concepts focused on personalized dining. Founded in 1949 as a carhop restaurant, today it has grown to include Eat'n Park Restaurants, Parkhurst Dining Services - the company's contract dining division, providing contract dining services to corporations, educational institutions, and cultural venues, and CURA Hospitality - providing contract dining and management service for senior living communities.
Eat'n Park Restaurants is an award-winning family restaurant and bakery chain with 79 locations in three states with more than 8,000 team members company-wide. Eat'n Park's properties also include the Park Classic Diners, which are retro eateries reminiscent of the company's roots. The chain is a division of the Eat'n Park Hospitality Group based in Pittsburgh, Pa.
