Senator Inn and Spa Institutes Zero Tolerance Policy Against Trans Fats
January 25, 2007
Privately Owned Augusta Inn Takes Health Stance While Feds, Industry Reluctant to Completely Ban
(Augusta, ME) The Senator Inn & Spa, a privately owned and operated inn committed to health and relaxation, today announced the institution of a zero tolerance policy against trans fats. Under the Senator’s new policy, no food prepared or served at the Senator’s Cloud 9 restaurant, bar, guest rooms or banquet facilities will contain partially hydrogenated oils. Partially hydrogenated oils are man-made, commonly found in processed foods and commercially baked products and laden with trans fat.
“The Senator Inn & Spa has long been committed to serving our guests the freshest, all-natural and best tasting food available, in a setting that promotes health and relaxation.” said Vern Cook, co-owner of the Senator Inn & Spa and Cloud 9 restaurant. “That means developing an all-natural menu that showcases local produce, meats and dairy; sourcing organically certified foods whenever possible; and baking whole grain breads right here in our own brick ovens.”
“We’re taking New York City’s ban and the FDA’s regulations one step further,” continued Cook. “Our suppliers and growers have expressed surprise and delight at our commitment. They have told us we’re the only hotel and restaurant in Maine that is completely trans-fat free. In short, it’s been time-consuming, challenging, and costly, but we believe going trans-fat free is the right thing to do for our guests and our collective health.” continued Cook.
Trans fat, or trans fatty acids, are “bad” fats that have been proven to increase coronary disease in health studies across the nation and have been identified by entities such as Harvard School of Public Health and New England Journal of Medicine as a source of major concern.
In January 2005, the USDA and the USHHS recommended that trans fatty acid consumption be as low as possible. In June 2006, the American Heart Association stated that daily intake of trans fat be limited to 2 to 2.5 grams of trans fat per day.
One year later, in January 2006, the FDA implemented labeling regulations, stating that Nutrition Facts must show total grams of trans fat content. FDA labeling allows that if the serving contains less than 0.5 gram of trans fat, the content, when declared, shall be expressed as zero or “no” trans fat.
Recently, New York City banned trans fats as found in partially hydrogenated cooking oils used in the city’s restaurants, referencing FDA regulations.
The Senator Inn & Spa’s zero tolerance policy of trans fat eliminates all partially hydrogenated oils from its restaurant, bar, and guest room offerings. The Senator doesn’t just ban cooking oils or trans fat more than 0.5 grams in content, but rather bans all trans fat that doesn’t occur naturally in what are considered to be healthy foods.
In order to completely and thoroughly purge trans fat from the Senator Inn & Spa, co-owners Vern and Betsy Cook had to start at the beginning—reading the list of ingredients and fine print on every single product label in the pantry, bar, refrigerators and freezers.
“It’s relatively easy to switch to canola and olive oil and call it a day,” said Betsy Cook, co-owner of the Senator Inn & Spa and Cloud 9 restaurant. “But it’s not just about targeting cooking oils and calling yourself trans-fat free. You’d be surprised at what prepared products contain trans fat. Potato chips and bar snacks are the usual suspects but it was the whole wheat tortillas, non-dairy creamers in guest rooms, sugar-free hot cocoa mix, and simple saltines that surprised us,” said Betsy Cook, “And because we used to use Ritz crackers in our seafood stuffing, for example, those had to be ruled out and replaced, too.”
“We’re thinking about this holistically and making the extra effort to provide the healthiest and most relaxing experience. Our inn, Spa and restaurant guests are like our own house guests—we’d like them to keep coming back and stay in good health, for many years to come,” said Cook.
The Senator Inn & Spa has a long history of leading health and environmental consciousness in the state of Maine. In 1985, the Maine Lung Association recognized the Senator Inn’s restaurant as one of the first Maine restaurants to voluntarily become smoke-free. In the mid-1990s, the Senator Inn began construction on the first hotel Spa in the state, with the goal of providing a holistic environment for health and relaxation. In 2006, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection certified the Senator Inn & Spa as an Environmental Leader, and the Senator affiliated with the “Green” Hotel Association and became 100% smoke-free. Additionally, Cloud 9, the restaurant at Senator Inn & Spa, was endorsed by the Maine Department of Agriculture’s “Get Real, Get Maine” food and resources program.
About the Senator Inn & Spa
The Senator Inn & Spa is an Augusta, Maine based hotel committed to health and relaxation. Privately owned and operated by innkeepers Vern and Betsy Cook, the Senator Inn & Spa is a full-service getaway that houses the award-winning Cloud 9 Restaurant, offering all-natural, local, and organically certified dishes that are as healthy as they are delicious. A 125-room property, the Senator Inn & Spa includes banquet facilities and a full-service spa complete with saltwater pool, fitness rooms, and a range of body treatments and products in our Spa Boutique. A member of the Green Hotel Association, the Senator Inn & Spa is a designated Environmental Leader, and pioneer in bans on smoking and trans fat. For more information, visit www.senatorinn.com or contact Vern Cook at 207-622-5804.
