Despite growing concern over trans-fat content in food, ASU students don't have to worry about the artery-clogging substance on campus.
Campus dining restaurants, for the most part, have little to no trans fat in the food, said Mike Jarmer, director of operations for ASU campus dining.
"We've always tried to stay on the forefront of serving healthy food and, more importantly, serving a variety of options for students," Jarmer said.
Trans fat is made when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil - a process called hydrogenation, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Deanne Wilson, a registered dietician with Campus Health Service, said trans fat is naturally occurring in small amounts and not necessarily bad, but it can be harmful if ingested in large amounts.
"Trans fats increases total cholesterol," Wilson said. "It increases LDL [low-density lipoprotein], which is considered bad cholesterol, and lowers HDL [high-density lipoprotein], and that is good cholesterol."
Wilson added that this increases risk of heart attack.
Food in campus dining restaurants are cooked using either butter - which is saturated fat - or 100 percent vegetable oil that isn't hydrogenated, Jarmer said. The only trans fat in the food would be in the baked goods, he added.
Officials in some cities are taking the matter into their own hands.
City council members in New York and Los Angeles are asking restaurants to voluntarily prepare food without trans fat in hopes of decreasing the risk of heart disease.
McDonald's is also trying to eliminate trans fat from their food, said Danya Proud, spokeswoman for McDonald's.
On Monday, the chain announced that 1,200 of its restaurants are trans-fat-free.
"Our goal is to significantly or completely eliminate trans fat from our food," Proud said.
One ASU students said it really doesn't matter if there is trans fat in the food.
Jessica Torres, a psychology junior, said she wasn't familiar with trans fat, and it made no difference to
her.
"People can eat whatever they want, and if they decide to eat unhealthy, it's their decision," Torres said.
Reach the reporter at: kyle.snow@asu.edu.
