WSU Dining Facilities are Trans Fat-Free

PULLMAN, Wash. – In an effort to contribute to a healthier lifestyle for students, Washington State University Dining Services has replaced all cooking oil to trans fat-free oil.

“Since December 2005, all food prepared in the university’s dining facilities is prepared with trans fat-free fat in response to the requests of our health-conscious guests and our overall commitment to quality,” said Gina Murray, marketing coordinator for Dining Services.

Murray said the move to non-hydrogenated canola oil for frying is part of the new philosophy at Dining Services, which also incorporates vegetarian and organic options among their selections and open cooking platforms for customers to see how the food is prepared.

“In addition to expanded salad bars and an increase in vegetarian options, we have also made great strides in increasing the use of homemade foods and are in the process of eliminating most processed items,” said WSU Dining Services assistant director and executive chef Doug Murray.

“It is our belief that homemade soups, fresh vegetables, meats, seafood, etc. are inherently much healthier than sodium or chemically stabilized processed products; we also gain the added benefit that the food tastes much better.”

When non hydrogenated canola oil is used, the flavor of the meals served remains the same. “We have done extensive testing for both frying life and quality results. In a blind test we have found no difference in the flavor quality from the oil used prior to the switch,” Chef Murray said.

WSU Dining Services operates three residence dining centers, the Compton Union Building dining facilities, five retail markets and six espresso carts on the Pullman campus. More than 4,000 students participate in a meal plan. “Counting staff, faculty, students, markets, carts and dining centers, we can have up to 15,754 system-wide transactions for a typical day,” Chef Murray said.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, trans fatty acids in the diet contribute to increased blood LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels, or “bad” cholesterol. High LDL-cholesterol levels increase the risk of coronary heart disease, which is the number-one cause of death in the nation.