Indiana State Fair goes trans fat-free for fried goodies

The calories are still there, so be cautious, experts advise.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — No one would ever confuse the deep-fried Twinkies or corn fritters served at the Indiana State Fair with health food. But at least this year they won’t 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 didn’t 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 Ways and Pepsi-infused fried dough.

Can’t taste a difference

Vendor Monica Urick, whose family runs three booths at the fairground, said she’s tasted all the fried foods and can’t detect a difference with the new oils. She predicts customers won’t notice, either.

The family switched to trans fat-free oils in April to fry up dough, tenderloins, shrimp, catfish and Cajun corn fritters — balls of sweet corn bread studded with fresh corn kernels served with a side of spicy remoulade dipping sauce. The concoction was voted the signature dish of this year’s fair.

But fairgoers shouldn’t 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 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 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.”

Will others follow?

Still, Marla Calico, a spokeswoman for the International Association of Fairs and Expositions, expects more fairs to follow Indiana’s lead. Calico, whose Springfield, Mo.-based group represents about 1,300 fairs and festivals, said there’s a move among some West Coast fair food vendors to switch to trans fat-free oils.

She said the oils are comparable in cost to trans fat and last longer.