Mrs. Fields Gourmet Cookies franchises weigh in on the problem of trans fats

Man-made trans fats can have significant negative health impacts, but as the Australian CEO of the international Mrs. Fields Gourmet Cookies franchises Andrew Benefield notes, we have done little locally to discourage their consumption.

Unsaturated trans fats are now banned for use in food products in the United States, but are still used unrestricted in Australia.

Benefield believes that one of the reasons Australia has not banned the chemicals is due to our preference for self-regulation and the cost of alternatives.

“Artificial trans fats are used by manufacturers in part to prolong the shelf life of products and help them stay crispy on the shelf,” says Benefield.

Doctors advise against consuming any amount of trans fats as part of a healthy diet, with Benefield noting that consumption of the chemicals can double the risk of heart disease in women and can lead to heart attack and strokes.

“Trans fats not only raise cholesterol levels, they also deplete good cholesterol which helps protect against heart disease,” he says.

Despite their relative ubiquity as an ingredient in food products like cookies and doughnuts, Benefield says that Mrs. Fields Gourmet Cookies franchises are completely trans fat-free.

The cookies franchises use butter instead of cheaper, partially hydrogenated margarines in their cooking process, and when margarine is needed, they use one that is trans fat-free and provides a more delicate texture.

“The margarine we use is made using one of several new technologies that have been developed over the past few years,” Benefield explains.

These new technologies are accompanied by increased costs, something which Benefield believes has discouraged their adoption.

With no restrictions imposed on the use of trans fats in Australia, he says, competitors haven’t seen any need to absorb these additional costs.

He adds that Australian consumers are not well informed on the risks associated with the use of the chemicals, so are not actively demanding the use of healthy alternatives.

“For our competitors it has become a question of economics. It becomes obvious that they have the options open now to eliminate trans fats in their products,” he concludes.