Tue, December 23, 2008
SCRIPT:
Hot diggity dog- these hamburgers have only 10% fat!
Argentine scientists have taken on the mighty beef burger and created a version with 20% less fat than regular burgers.
Instead of having animal fat, we wanted to replace it with oils that are good for your health, says Professor Alicia Califano.
(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CONICET INVESTIGATOR AND LA PLATA UNIVERSITY SCIENCE PROFESSOR, ALICIA CALIFANO, SAYING:
"So what we wanted was hamburgers but instead of having animal fat we wanted to replace it with oils that are good for your health."
The patties are made of lean meat and have unsaturated oils like fish oil added to them.
The result is a burger that tastes the same, looks the same and smells the same, but is lower in fat and salt, and is more nutritious.
Researcher Silvina Andres says the burgers are good because they are quick, ready-to-eat, and easy for a mother who is short on time.
(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ASSISTANT CONICET INVESTIGATOR, SILVINA ANDRES, SAYING:
"They are good because they are quick, and they are ready-to-eat and it is easy for a mother who is short on time."
With the global economic slowdown, nutritionists worry that more people are eating fast-food...paying attention to their wallets but not their waistlines.
Fast-food chains like McDonalds, Wendy's, KFC, and Burger King have pledged to offer healthier options. Already, transfats aren't used for frying anymore in some countries.
But the Argentine research team says if they switched to these healthy patties the lowly burger would actually have some real nutritional value.
