Trans Fat Survey

Author:

Cocci, Susan Julie

Graduate Program:

Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management

Degree:

Master of Science

Document Type:

Master Thesis

Date of Defense:

None

Committee Members:

Peter Lawrence Bordi Jr., Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Peter Lawrence Bordi Jr., Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor

Keywords:

Pennsylvania Trans Fat Task Force
trans fat

Abstract:

The Trans Fat Survey is a collaboration between the School of Hospitality Management’s Center for Food Innovation and the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Trans fat has become a buzz word in the foodservice industry over the past five years, especially with the January 1, 2006 legislation requiring trans fat in quantities of 0.5 grams or more to be listed on all nutrition labels. Many cities and states are now requiring that trans fats be eliminated from restaurants and dining establishments. In Pennsylvania, legislation was passed in February 2007 that banned trans fats from all Philadelphia restaurants. Despite the surge of information, knowledge of trans fats is still lacking among the general population. Trans fats are extremely harmful for one’s health, yet a large percentage of people only know about trans fat because they have seen it on nutrition labels. The goal of this project is to assess the trans fat knowledge level of the residents of Pennsylvania. Once the data is collected, it will be used to help create educational materials for the state’s residents. The web-based survey contained 28 questions and was sent to an unrepresentative sample of Pennsylvanians, with a goal of 1,000-3,000 responses. The survey asked participants a variety of questions including general fats knowledge and health interest questions; however the majority were fact-based questions on trans fat. The educational materials that were created for the state’s residents based on this survey will be extremely important for the health and well-being of Pennsylvania, especially as the nation’s obesity epidemic continues.