News & Events
Stanley Appointed Coordinator of Trans Fat Health Center
“There are lots of oils and shortenings to substitute for artificial trans fat -- products that are very healthy and tasty,” says Laura Stanley. "Many city restaurants have already made the switch with very little effort and no additional expense."
And she, more than almost anyone, should know. Stanley, a culinary educator and writer, is the newly appointed head of the city's Trans Fat Health Center, created by New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in partnership with New York City College of Technology/CUNY (City Tech) to assist food professionals in switching from artificial trans fat to healthier oils. The first phase of the regulation goes into effect on July 1, 2007.
City Tech was chosen because its Department of Hospitality Management has professors well-versed in the culinary and confectionary arts as well as in food safety and preparation. Stanley was a known entity to members of the faculty and staff, and they highly recommended her for the position of coordinator.
It's a job that Stanley, who has a strong interest in public health, takes very seriously. “The truth is,” she says, “that working people who eat a lot of meals outside the home are the main victims of the effects of artificial trans fat. It's not labeled in restaurants like it is in supermarkets, so it's a hidden killer.”
A former member of the editorial staffs of Wine Spectator magazine and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Stanley resides, with her husband and 11-year-old daughter, in Flatbush, within easy commuting distance of the College. She completed professional culinary training at the Institute for Culinary Education.
“This new position,” she notes, “dovetails nicely with all my other work.” This includes teaching the culinary arts to students in New York City elementary schools for “Spoons Across America” (a not-for-profit organization dedicated to educating children, teachers and families about the benefits of healthy eating), and, most recently, conducting cooking classes for learning-disabled teenagers at Legacy High School on Roosevelt Island.
Stanley will be working closely with a number of food industry advisers, including two renowned restaurateurs who are City Tech alumni -- Michael Lomonaco, executive chef/partner of Porter House New York and Michael Romano, chef/partner, Union Square Café and Blue Smoke. She will rely on City Tech Professors Elizabeth Schaible, Louise Hoffman and Joanne Jacus -- who have expertise in food service, confectionery arts and recipe reformulation, respectively -- for assistance in shaping and refining the content of brochures, the website and course curricula.
The Center, supported in part by a grant from the American Heart Association, will provide a telephone help line, classes and web resources in multiple languages, all free of charge. Restaurateurs with questions are advised to call 311 and ask for the Trans Fat Help Line.
The program’s website -- www.notransfatnyc.org -- features “0 grams trans fat” product lists and all kinds of food preparation tips. Food-service operators are invited to call to sign up for free classes taught by City Tech faculty.
"Instruction will take place in a kitchen classroom at City Tech and other venues throughout the city,” explains Stanley. “Food professionals can learn to reformulate recipes and receive guidance on complying with the new regulations. City Tech has a long tradition of public service,” she adds, “so this program is a natural for us.”
At the Trans Fat Help Center, City Tech’s cooking and baking faculty, interns and students will play an active role in providing advice to food-industry personnel who call in with questions about compliance. “We’ll give answers to the simplest of questions, such as ‘Which oils should I substitute for those containing trans fats?’ to such complicated matters as recipe reformulation for bakers,” explains Stanley.
The center was established to help restaurateurs comply with the December 2006 New York City Board of Health regulation that restaurants remove artificial trans fats from the foods they prepare. The program will take effect in two phases: in the first, commencing on July 1, 2007, covers only oils and shortenings used for frying and margarines used for spreading. On July 1, 2008, stricter regulations will be imposed.
"New Yorkers really enjoy their food, and I'm no exception," she explains. "I'm crazy about food; that's why I have devoted my career to it. I'm equally passionate about nutrition; I think the most exciting food is wholesome and delicious. I'm hoping that I can help people enjoy eating just as much as ever while treating their bodies better than before."
5/3/07
