Year 2, Day 245: KFC Changes its Oil

This week there has been a lot written about KFC Corporation (A Yum Brand), formerly known (and soon to be again) as Kentucky Fried Chicken. This is because they agreed to change their oil from the heart and body-damaging partially hydrogenated oils with a new kind of un-partially hydrogenated oil. It's great to see humongous companies do this, and somehow gives he hope that we are living in an era where there is a return to sense, after nearly two decades of wreaking havoc on the bodies of our nation. (It is sad that several lawsuits probably led to this change, though). It is also fantastic to check out food news every day and see pretzel companies switch to real wheat flour, instead of enriched white flour, and see the Frito Lay companies get rid of these fats. Twenty years after the fact, even big corporate can admit: we made a mistake. Partially hydrogenated fats=bad. Next: High fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors? Do really need artificial color? My parental sense tells me kids will eat anything strawberry flavored. Whether it's pink or not is totally, and unequivocally, irrelevant.

Zero Trans Fat Cooking Oil in KFC

KFC Corporation announced today it is converting all of its 5,500 restaurants in the United States to a zero grams trans fat cooking oil. The new oil, a low linolenic soybean oil, will replace the partially hydrogenated soybean oil in current use in KFC restaurants. The conversion, which follows over two years of extensive testing of oil options to identify the same taste profile, has already begun in many KFC restaurants and is scheduled to be completed by the end of April 2007 nationwide. (So don't run out right now—Ed.)

Once the transition is complete, KFC's most popular signature products, including Original Recipe and Extra Crispy chicken, will contain zero grams of trans fat. Other products that will have zero grams of trans fat are: Crispy Strips, Wings, Boneless Wings, Honey BBQ, Buffalo and Crispy Snacker Sandwiches, Popcorn Chicken, Twisters and Potato Wedges. Many KFC menu items today already contain zero grams of trans fat, including: all Tender Roast Products, Honey BBQ Sandwich, Honey BBQ Snacker, and many side dishes such as Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes, Corn on the Cob and Coleslaw.

(They didn't mention the unneeded sugar, exorbitant amount of carbs or artificial flavors and colors and emulsifiers that are used, did they?—Ed.)

Breakfast
4 Slices of Virginia Ham
1 Slice Balthazar Bread
Green Tea

Snack
1 Extra Smokey
2 Pieces Beef Jerky
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
1/2 oz Popcorn

Lunch: Russo's ($5.97)
Red leaf, red pepper, red onion
broccoli, mushrooms, feta, chicken
balsamic vinegar
pepperocini

Dinner
93% Sirloin Burger
Sauteed Onions
Pickles
Broccoli

Dessert
2 Chocolate Kisses

I must say that coincidentally, I happened to be watching the Food Channel's special on Fast Food and that the first segment was about Harlen Sanders and his invention of Kentucky Fried Chicken. It's your typical American, go-for-broke rags'n'riches story, but the part of the story that hit me was how Colonel Sanders (Kentucky actually made him an official Colonel, and contrary to Internet company hallway talk, that is his likeness on the package) was a trailblazer in the way he sold his chicken. Apparently at the time, there wasn't really any "take-out" food (with Chinese probably being the lone exception, and then only in urban metropoli). Chicken was the province of the Sunday Night meal and in the words of one of the talking heads, fried chicken was "A meal everyone wanted to eat but no one wanted to make." The program described KFC as an agent of 'liberation' for mothers and grandmothers around the country, and further described the bucket as a unique way to present the package. I must admit that my own family relied on 'getting a bucket of chicken' quite often, though my brother and I often came to blows about what type. I liked the short-lived barbecue variety, while he was an extra crispy fan. Of course, I now know that the Colonel's secret was that he used a whole wheat pastry flour instead of an all-purpose baking dough for his dredge; thereby the "softer" crispy chicken, with just SO many carbs. I ate at KFC as recently as 2002 and I must say that I really, really liked it. And it's those memories I'll cherish...