FAST FOOD
Dying for a take-away?
Joanne Lillie, Shape Magazine
Posted Thu, 22 Feb 2007

Fast food has long been implicated in the growing incidence of lifestyle diseases and obesity. Too much fat and salt, little or no fibre, and not much in the way of nutrients, confirms Sandton dietician, Nicole Sacks. And more often than not it’s fried in oil. Oil we should be extremely wary of.

One in eight frying establishments in South Africa overuses their frying oil — and one in five in Durban, says Professor Lodewyk Kock from the University of the Free State, and head of the South African Fryer Oil Initiative (SAFOI).

When overused, cooking oil begins to break down and form 'varnish-like' compounds that are hazardous to human (and animal) health. The toxic side effects of overused oil include growth depression, diarrhoea, coronary disease, tissue enlargement (liver, spleen and adrenal glands) and liver damage. Certain breakdown products may also contribute to cancer.

Not only are some establishments using potentially poisonous oil, but fraudsters are finding ways to disguise old, discoloured oil by blowing air through it to change the colour, or adding bleach, says Prof Kock.

The motivation is almost always financial; it costs less to continue using the same old oil than to replace it, he says. And fast-food outlets use plenty of oil. Nando’s, for example, is one establishment that has taken a stand against oil abuse, by recycling some 300 tons of oil a month, just for their chips and potato wedges. It is also difficult, say some restaurant owners, to dispose of old oil, although Nando’s sends theirs off to be made into environmentally-friendly biodiesel fuels.

The problem of re-used oil is perpetuated by a lack of law enforcement. Although it is now a criminal offence to use edible oils and fats beyond their natural lifespan (determined by decolorisation) to cook with, there are still over a thousand outlets in South Africa that do, Prof Kock suggests. Offenders are liable for fines of a paltry R400, compared to some countries such as Hong Kong where fines of up to R50 000 and a six-month prison sentence are slapped on offending eateries.

What’s worse, according to SAFOI’s findings, is that many outlets distribute used oil waste to poor communities for consumption, after it is discarded by the restaurant.

Research also shows that South Africa owns some of the highest breakdown levels ever recorded in frying establishments worldwide. But perhaps what is most alarming of all is new evidence, published by the University of the North and Prof Kock in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which suggests that this oil waste has adverse effects, particularly on those consumers suffering from HIV/Aids. The toxic oil may increase oxidative stress levels and decrease immune responses, and could impair liver function.

This is devastating, considering recent reports from the international organisation AidsMap, which notes that the risk of progression from HIV to Aids is higher in SA than many other parts of the world.

What can you do?

“Eating responsibly means making wise choices,” says Nicole Sacks. So ensure your take away comes from a trustworthy source.

Fresh oil is starts out a light golden colour, and darkens with repeated heating. Although it is hard to tell what kind of oil your favourite take away uses, it is worth asking a few probing questions.

SAFOI is promoting the 'Steward Principle' in an attempt to raise industry standards. Its aim is to: “Take care of oil from the point of sale to eventual discard by the frying establishment.”

In practice this may be tricky but perhaps if we, as health-conscious consumers only visit outlets we know to be responsible oil-users, we can collectively make an impact.