Check the Oil for Non-Hydrogenation, Sir?
Fry Guys Tank Up on Low to No Trans Fat
By JOHN M. SAULNIER, QFFI Chief Editor & Publisher

All retail spud products marketed by McCain Foods USA, Inc., such as Crinkle Cut French Fried Potatoes, contain zero trans fat and absolutely no cholesterol.

What’s hot on the value-added potato scene? Reduction or elimination of hydrogenated oils, which contain trans fatty acids, in favor of Canola and other high oleic oils. On the retail new product front, Extra Crispy range from Ore-Ida now serves up as breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Out with the trans fat, but in with just as much if not more flavor to savor. That’s what’s happening on the frozen potato market in North America, where producers are changing their oil with the idea of revving up sales among healthy-eating minded consumers. At the same time, recipes have been readied to appeal to traditional potato eaters’ taste for the robust that’s conveniently served with no fuss. And one does not necessarily have to be exclusive of the other.

As the vast majority of frozen potato products are sold through foodservice outlets in North America, trends in quick-service restaurants are watched very closely by suppliers. Wendy’s, in a move that significantly reduces trans fatty acids from its menu, is making the switch to non-hydrogenated cooking oil for in-store preparation of french fries and breaded chicken items. The oil has zero grams of trans fat per serving.

In an earlier move, all salad dressings offered in the Wendy’s Garden Sensations salad line were reformulated to contain zero grams of trans fat per serving. Last year restaurant operators began serving baked potatoes with margarine containing zero grams of trans fat.

The dramatic emphasis on menuing products perceived to be healthier to eat than standard fare by the chain – known formally as Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers and ranking third in the US with almost $7.7 billion in sales during 2005 – may well give it a jump over QSR rivals in the battle to win the hearts and minds of health- and fitness-conscious consumers. With aging baby boomers and obese youngsters increasingly being told to greatly reduce, if not eliminate consumption of certain fats, Wendy’s seems to be positioning much of its menu to offer “just what the doctor ordered.”

Dublin, Ohio-headquartered Wendy’s said that its 6,300 US and Canadian restaurants are scheduled to switch to the new blend of corn and soy oil beginning this August. Its breaded chicken sandwiches, nuggets and strips will have zero grams of trans fat. Depending on the serving size, trans fats in french fry offerings will range from zero of 0.5 grams. Kids’ Meal fries and nuggets will have zero grams of trans fat.

Beyond changing cooking oils, the company is working directly with its french fry suppliers to further reduce trans fats that occur as part of the frying process at their facilities, with an ultimate goal of zero grams. As part of an extensive year-long process, more than 370 Wendy’s restaurants in Florida, North Carolina, West Virginia and Ontario have been testing the new cooking oil.

McCain Foods, which converted many of its foodservice potato products to a zero gram trans fat per serving formulation last January, has extended the offering to the retail segment with products such as “0g Trans Fat/No Cholesterol” Crinkle Cut pre-fried potatoes in 32-ounce (907-gram) bags.

Lamb Weston’s My Fries Gold have up to 25% less fat than conventional fries. Made from Yukon Gold potatoes, the product will help operators strike gold too, as they may be able to save up to 25% on oil costs since absorption is less than conventional fries when cooked.

In launching the “Great Food, Good Sense” program, President Peter Reijula and CEO Frank van Schaayk of McCain Foods USA, Inc. spelled out exactly what it means in a joint statement posted on a website set up to address the subject of trans fatty acids in food products:

“You will now be able to offer your customers a wide variety of 0g trans fat per serving potato products that perform as well as they always have, whether operators prepare them in non-hydrogenated liquid oil or not. However, when prepared in non-hydrogenated oil or similar oil that does not contain trans fats, operators will have the ability to add healthier solutions to their menus. We are excited to lead the foodservice industry and the potato category to healthier food choices that benefit the operators and the customer.”

As reported in the April issue of Quick Frozen Foods International magazine, ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston has been busy developing tasty potato products that contain up to 25% less fat than conventional fries. All operators have to do with “My Fries Gold,” which were launched during the recently held National Restaurant Association show in Chicago, is make sure that recommended handling and refry procedures are followed. The product is presently available in two varieties – Concertina® Crinkle Cut and CrissCut® processed in 100% canola oil.

The new french fry, made with the company’s proprietary i3 advantage™, is said to impart “exceptional flavor and texture qualities, impede absorption of cooking fats and increase crispness and holding capabilities.”

Enthusiastically announcing the innovation, Jeff DeLapp, president of ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston, commented: “My Fries Gold gives foodservice establishments the opportunity to offer more choice to their customers. They’re a great alternative to traditional fries on the menu. My Fries Gold gives consumers the best of both worlds – amazing taste from Yukon Gold potatoes, crisp, tender texture, appetizing color and up to 25% less fat than conventional fries.”

The fries will be made available to all foodservice operations. However, at the onset of the product launch the company will especially target college, university and health care facilities that cater to fitness-conscious consumers. “We believe these kinds of larger volume operations will likely be early adopters as they look for great-tasting foods that patrons will love, but with less fat and calories than many other indulgent treats,” stated DeLapp.

Lamb Weston is hardly new to the more wholesome fry segment, having some time ago rolled out the Canola Quick® product line. Fries in the zero grams trans fat per serving range are cooked in high oleic canola oil, which the company points out is cholesterol-free as well as non-hydrogenated.

New Annan, Prince Edward Island, Canada-based Cavendish Farms is frying both retail and foodservice potato products in non-hydrogenated oil. “This has been a significant step for us, and has provided our customers with a healthier alternative,” said a company spokesman. “While our products are now produced in non-hydrogenated oil, we have managed not to sacrifice the quality taste and texture, making this a win-win situation...”

All branded products, including the Canadian Grand Prix New Product Award-winning Always Crisp range of 750-gram french fry offerings, are now made with non-hydrogenated oil.

Meanwhile, McDonald’s test kitchens reportedly continue to work on perfecting oils to fry up potato items and other frozen products in its 13,700-plus restaurants in the USA. It had originally planned to switch to a new cooking oil in 2002 that would have reduced trans fatty acid levels in french fries by 48% while cutting saturated fat by 16% and dramatically boosting so-called “good” polyunsaturated fat by 167%.

One way to boost retail sales of frozen potato products is to get consumers to eat spuds in the morning. Extra Crispy Easy BreakFast Potatoes from Ore-Ida are positioned to do precisely that. Just add an egg to the microwave-ready tray and you’re on the way to enjoying the first meal of day in a highly convenient way.

“Our reduction is taking longer than anticipated,” said Anna Rozenich, a spokeswoman for the world’s largest restaurant chain, which rang up sales of more than $26 billion in the US alone last year. “We continue to make progress in our testing because we want to make sure we get it right.”

Interestingly, McDonald’s CEO Jim Skinner told reporters in April that a number of its menu offerings in the United States contain higher levels of fat than those in the company’s overseas outlets. “It is a taste issue relative to what our customers want in the US. It’s why we continue to work hard on cutting trans fat,” he stated.

The restaurant sector is typically where convenience food trends are pioneered and refined in North America. As such, one can only speculate that once McDonald’s, Burger King and other quick-service chains perfect a fully non-hydrogenated cooking oil that satisfies the healthy-eating consumer segment without compromising flavor, the low-to-no trans fat express will roll into the potato sections of supermarket freezer cases in far greater number.

At the moment it’s line extensions and products with more pronounced flavor that are creating excitement among US buyers in the $1.2 billion retail category. AC Nielsen reported that sales at stores (excluding Wal-Mart) rose by 8.6% during the 52-week period that ended on May 20, 2006. At the same time, unit volume increased by 6.1% to 543,538,569.

Ore-Ida is the most ubiquitous face in the retail freezer case when it comes to value-added potato products. Boasting a commanding 65% market share, the H.J. Heinz brand has vigorously pursued new product development to drive growth during the past decade or more.

In the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based company’s annual report released on June 30, Chairman William R. Johnson singled out Ore-Ida Roasted Potatoes among the latest creations from its Innovation and Quality Center, which is situated on the outskirts of the city. More than 100 chefs, food technologists, nutritionists, packaging engineers and quality assurance specialists work at the facility.

“The power of innovation begins with our people,” said Johnson. “Much of Heinz’s new product momentum follows from increased collaboration among cross-functional teams that combine strengthened market research with increased culinary expertise. Data-driven processes consult consumers at each stage of product development, from ‘ideation’ to launch, resulting in new product success rates in the US business that have increased from 58% in 2000 to 87% in 2004, the latest year for which trailing two-year data is available.”

Ore-Ida product performance from 2003-06 showed compounded annual growth of 8% in turnover and 10% in volume, with increased sales amounting to $90 million. Introduction of the Extra Crispy Potato line and new microwaveable fries were cited as examples of category movers.

Extra Crispy Easy BreakFast Potatoes, which are microwave-ready after just four minutes of zapping, are distributed in 4.75-ounce (134-gram) boxes containing a built-in crisp-and-serve tray. Spiced and diced spuds are tucked between an upper and lower crisping sheet that works the microwave magic. Consumers can even add an egg or bacon strip to the container to prepare a complete breakfast. The product retails for $1.29.

Other items in the Extra Crispy assortment include restaurant quality Fast Food Fries and Golden Crinkles in four-pound and 26-ounce sizes, and Golden Fries in 4.25-ounce packages.

Want a Dog with That?

Can’t find a Nathan’s Famous restaurant in your neighborhood? No need for Americans to fret when they can hurry over to their local supermarket to pick up Jumbo Crinkle Cut French Fries to go with their Nathan’s Famous All-Beef Hot Dogs. This 28-ounce bag, produced by ConAgra Foods, sells for $3.49.

QSR diners in the USA are familiar with the “Want fries with that?” question often posed by counter personnel taking orders for hamburgers and other hot sandwiches. Now consumers grabbing 28-ounce (793-gram) bags of Nathan’s Famous Jumbo Crinkle Cut French Fries at the supermarket might well ask themselves “Want a dog with that?” before heading over the to meat department to pick up a pack of Nathan’s frankfurters.

ConAgra Foods produces the fries in Kennewick, Washington. They are made from the original recipe perfected 90 years ago by Polish immigrants Nathan and Ida Handwerker at their hot dog and french fry stand in Coney Island, New York. Today a much expanded menu of Nathan’s products can be enjoyed at franchise restaurants from coast to coast, as well as in Japan, China, Israel, Egypt, Kuwait and the Dominican Republic. And now, courtesy of ConAgra, they can be fried or oven baked at home at any time.

Text on back of the bag of Nathan’s spuds, which sells for $3.49, describes what goes into the Crinkle Cuts: “Nothing like ordinary fries, these are made from fresh-peeled potatoes, cut thick and hearty with a unique, crinkly shape, and cooked to a crispy golden grown perfection.”

For those who might be counting, the number of calories per three-ounce serving (about 14 pieces) is 110, of which 20 are derived from fat. Trans fat amounts to 1.5 grams and saturated fat 0.5 grams.

Baby Cakes

McCain is out with the cutest little Home Style Baby Cakes in the form of mini potato pancakes. The zero trans fat product retails for $3.89 per 20-ounce bag.

Further expanding its reach beyond french fries, McCain Foods USA has come out with Home Style Baby Cakes in 20-ounce (567g) bags that retail for $3.89. The mini potato pancakes, which contain zero grams of trans fat, may be prepared numerous ways ranging from oven baking to stir-frying to deep-fat frying. For those who opt for frying, side package cooking instructions point out: “It is recommended when using this cooking method to use non-hydrogenated liquid cooking oil.”

The company has also gained solid distribution for its Oven Roasts assortment of seasoned fried potatoes, which come in 680-gram retail bags. Among the items offered are Mediterranean with olive oil, rosemary and garlic; Yukon Gold with sea salt; and Sweet Potato.

It’s a Snap from Snapps: Potato Bites

Featuring a filling of bacon and cheddar cheese, Potato Bites in 5.5-ounce packages was recently introduced under the Snapps Snacks & Appetizers brand. They are produced by Plover, Wisconsin-based Golden County Foods (phone: +1 800-489-7783; website: www.snapps.us).

The suggested retail price is three for $4 or five for $5. Other items in the seven-item “restaurant quality” line include Cream Cheese & Pepper Bites; Cheese and Pepperoni Pizza Bites; Crispy Cream Mozzarella Sticks, and Creamy Golden Mushroom Bites.

Snapps brand Bacon & Cheddar Potato Bites are new from Golden County Foods, Inc. Shoppers can buy three of the 5.5-ounce packs for $4, or five for $5.

Brooklyn, New York-headquartered Alexia Foods. Inc. distributes a range of mashed potato products which includes Gourmet Quality Country Reds Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Parmesan. Packed in a one-pound (454-gram) microwaveable tray, the trans fat-free product is made with extra virgin olive oil. It was selling for $3.29 recently at a Food Emporium store in Fort Lee, New Jersey.

Country Reds, which are made from Columbia Basin Red Potatoes, are said to be “a perfect complement to any entrée.”

The second item in this Alexia’s Gourmet Quality duet is Yukon Gold Creamy and Mashed Potatoes & Sea Salt, which sells for about the same price.