Fresh Brands Cuts Trans Fats

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. -- Fresh Brands, operator of 25 corporate Piggly Wiggly stores in Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa, this week announced that its deli departments have switched to trans fat-free cooking oils. “We‘ve had tremendous success with consumer satisfaction after the switch to Whole Harvest [trans fat-free oils],” Jim Van Sickle, director of deli/bakery for Fresh Brands, said in a statement. “We‘re proud to provide our customers with healthier and better-tasting selections from our delis.” The announcement follows similar moves by Ingles and Winn-Dixie in March, and many other supermarket operators during the past two years. Consumer concern about trans fats has been on the rise as medical studies continue to link their consumption to higher rates of heart disease, as well as other health problems.