New Jersey bakers are hoping the Big Apple’s trans-fat ban means more dough for them.
As of today, the city’s prohibition on hydrogenated oils extends to all baked goods, but no such restrictions exist across the river in the, uh, Larden State.
“We hope this will be good for business,” said Sal Picinich, at Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken.
Noting he will still be baking “the old-fashioned way,” Picinich said, “Anyone who needs their trans-fats fix should know we’re only a short drive or PATH ride away.”
Picinich said that, with all the health concerns surrounding trans fats, the bakery has experimented with such alternatives as palm oil but has been disappointed.
“Nothing tasted right and the cream just wasn’t as soft and moist,” he said.
Health officials say the city’s zero-tolerance approach is necessary because trans fats, unlike butter or cooking oil, are a double whammy – raising bad cholesterol and lowering good cholesterol.
Many bakers say the change won’t be obvious.
“There may be a slight issue of flakiness and crispiness,” said Michael Mignano, owner of Main Street Bakery in Port Washington. “But you really do not need trans fats. The only thing I use them for is my devil’s food cake, and I do not think it would take much to find an alternative.”
The ban on cooking oils containing trans fats went into effect a year ago, and based on recent inspections, 98 percent of restaurants are in compliance, health officials said.
But bakers have been more uneasy about the switch because even small recipe changes can offset the precise chemistry of making cakes, cookies, and pies.
At Ferrara’s, on Grand Street in Little Italy, Ernest Lepore said he could live with the ban.
“We’ve been around 115 years, and hydrogenated oils have only been in use since World War II,” he said. “So I got into my grandfather’s book to see how we used to make things back in the day.”
Still, some cannoli lovers at Veniero’s, in the East Village on 11th Street said they did not appreciate the city telling them what to do.
“I’m not going to let anyone tell me what to eat – I love desserts,” said songwriter Amalie Bruun, 23, as she ate a custard tart. “Just because they think it is bad, they ban it. I’m an adult. I can decide.”
Anastasia Medytsa, 15, said she was worried about the change.
“I guess if it’s healthier, that’s good,” she said. “But if it’s taking away from the taste of the food, that’s no good.”