New England barbecue joint makes radical menu change amid MAHA movement
Walrus Alley of Westport, Connecticut, has announced it will be going completely seed-oil free.
Joseph Farrell, owner of Walrus Alley, told Fox News Digital the decision stems from a personal health journey of his own.
"Our home has been a haven for more natural cooking, and moving the restaurant away from seed oils was a huge undertaking," he said.
"At one point we realized we just had to go for it."
Seed oils — highly refined plant-based cooking oils — have been linked to an increased risk of colon cancer, as Fox News Digital recently reported.
Farrell said the transition away from seed oils can be easier said than done. It was a bit of a challenge, he said, for his team to change the way they deep-fry their food and what breads they use.
"Every sauce has to be reconfigured, including mayonnaise, which is the base for most sauces," said Farrell.
Even so, the family-owned and operated establishment has eliminated every seed oil, switching instead to beef tallow, olive oil and avocado oil, he said.
As the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement gains steam, health advocates have been rallying behind the removal of seed oils in foods.
Vani Hari, an author and food advocate — and one of the many supporters of new HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — told Fox News Digital that removing seed oils is the start of a new era in the restaurant industry. (See the video at the top of this article.)
"The food tastes better."
And Arizona-based restaurant chain True Food Kitchen, for its part, has also removed seed oil from all 47 of its locations across 18 states, it told Fox News Digital recently.
Farrell noted, "Though our change to being seed oil-free came from a personal health journey, it is always positive to see people focus on healthier options."
He added, "It makes us all feel better, and the food tastes better, regardless of how you get to this point."
Farrell warned that while some restaurants may say they are seed-oil free, they may be missing the mark.
"They are using beef tallow in their fryers, but it is cut with soy and stabilizers, which are unhealthy," he said.
"Or they don't examine the products they bring in, offering burgers on seed oil-laden buns."
"Converting to being seed oil-free really takes a great deal of reflection and reinvention on the commercial level," said Farrell.
That's "because the industry is deeply rooted with seed oils," he added.
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