Lower-fat fair fare: better fried veggies

The Baltimore Sun

Dr. Vegetable, aka Richard Busse of Valparaiso, Ind., knows how fairgoers like their broccoli, zucchini and mushrooms: fried, with a side of ranch dressing.

Busse has been deep-frying broccoli, cauliflower, onions, green tomatoes, mushrooms and even pickles for local festivals and state fairs in Indiana, Wisconsin, New York and North Carolina for years. He knows that veggies in a crispy, crunchy coating will outsell uncooked vegetables any day.

"It's what people go to the fairs for," Busse said. "I've tried to sell salad and really healthy stuff, but nobody buys it.

"Nobody goes to the fair to eat a salad."

Like the land that diets forgot, fairs are places of indulgence: elephant ears and corn dogs, cheese on a stick and deep-fried anything, including the standard fries and onion rings, Twinkies, Oreos, Snickers bars and even chocolate-covered strawberries.

Fair food is far from health food, but one state fair is trying to make fried treats a little bit healthier by banning cooking oil containing trans fats.

Taking a cue from cities such as New York that have banned the oils and fast-food companies such as KFC that no longer use it, the Indiana State Fair will require its vendors to cook in zero trans fat or in no trans fat oil this summer.

It is believed to be the first state fair in the country to take such action against trans fats, fair spokesman Andy Klotz said.

"We found out it provides a healthier, better product with no drawbacks to the taste," Klotz said. "We were convinced this was good for everyone involved."

Trans fats, artificially created by hydrogenating oil, are shown to lower good cholesterol and increase the bad cholesterol.

Chicago has considered banning the artery-clogging fats; New York, Philadelphia and Montgomery County, Md., have banned them from restaurants. New York's ban took effect Sunday, and the others become law this year or in 2008.

About 70 percent of the vendors at the Indiana State Fair, including Dr. Vegetable, were already using zero trans fat or trans fat-free oil. Before making the final decision on the ban, state fair employees held a taste test of corn dogs, elephant ears and french fries and determined that if the flavor wasn't the same, it was slightly better, Klotz said.

To make sure vendors are using the healthful oils, the Aug. 8-19 Indiana fair will require them to use oil purchased from the fair, he said. He expects the fair will go through 7,000 gallons of oil over 12 days.

The fair isn't trying to make money off the oil sales, Klotz said. "What we're trying to do is offer a healthier product and a better product. Hopefully people will come more and buy more. That's where we'll see our increase."

The no trans fat oil will cost more, Klotz said, but he didn't expect fair food prices to go up. Vendors can make up some of that additional cost because they can use the trans-fat-free oils longer, he said.

Klotz said it is unlikely that the fair will issue a full trans fat ban. "I don't think we'll ever attempt to go there, but it is nice to have a healthier product," he said.

Though others in the state fair business are watching, other state fairs in the Midwest aren't rushing to join the movement.

Minnesota will provide signs to vendors who aren't using trans fat frying oil, and Wisconsin is keeping an eye on what happens in Indiana.

Fairs in Illinois and Ohio say that they haven't considered requiring vendors to use zero trans fat oils.

Illinois State Fair manager Amy Bliefnick knows that banning trans fats is a trend in the food industry but was surprised to hear that the Indiana State Fair was doing it.

"You come to the fair to treat yourself and indulge in some of life's pleasures," Bliefnick said.

"There's plenty of opportunity to have things that are healthy for you, if that's what you desire."

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