No trans fats? No problem, bakers say

MANILA, Philippines — Bakeries fan out on the streets around the nearly 400-year-old San Luis Obispo de Tolosa church in Lucban.

On the ancient streets, cakes and cookies, pan de sal and pastries abound, from the thin, sugar-sprinkled biscuit called apaz, to the thick, bun-like yuro.

We are in the culinary and pastry capital of Quezon. Think or taste Lucban longanisa, pancit habhab, broas and the Pahiyas Festival in May when new harvests of fruits and vegetables blend in a riot of colorful flowers made of kiping rice wafers.

Pastries are made of flour, butter, margarine and shortening, the very sources of trans fats that nutritionists would like to limit or ban from food products.

These ingredients make breads and pastries soft, moist and whole, said the owner-manager of one of Lucban’s major bakeries who requested names are not mentioned. The bakery, which makes nearly a hundred loaves of sliced bread a day, does it the old-fashioned way.  

“We use all-natural ingredients. We don’t worry about shelf life, we don’t use anti-molds, as all our breads are consumed in three days.” The so-called flying saucer buns, for example, are sold in less than a day.

Trans fats from hydrogenated oils contained in hardened vegetable fats, such as margarine, are primarily used for deep frying and as an ingredient in baked goods and in making snacks and fried foods.

The World Health Organization estimates that every year, trans fat intake leads to  more than half a million people dying from cardiovascular disease, warning that diets high in trans fats increase the risk of heart disease and death.

If trans fat really lengthens shelf-life, taking it out of the ingredients should be “no problem,” the manager said. More so if not using it doesn’t really affect the taste, quality, cost of production and – more important – if it doesn’t increase the retail price.

“Nagkakatalo lang sa costing. Consumers are more health-conscious now, and it’s for the better.” However, not all customers are aware of health issues. And bakers are not aware of what technology, if there’s one, to use for the transition into trans fats-free products.

“We have no problem with trans fats-free products,” agreed Kristine Abillar, third-generation manager of Pecto’s, the bakery her grandpa opened in 1947. But bakers are in the dark on how to do it, she said.

“We use butter, margarine and shortening for texture and taste, not for shelf life,” said Abillar, who runs one of the town’s most popular bread shops. In a week, Pecto’s uses 100 25-kilogram sacks of hard flour and 30 sacks of soft flour. 

“I also got bread with no sugar and lard,” she said, pointing to a line of artisanal bread made of flour, salt, water “and nothing else.” These are European-type breads like baguettes ordered by restaurants and expats. “They’re a bit sour and don’t last long on the shelf.”

Pecto’s traditional breads have no preservatives, lasting for three days at room temperature, a week in the fridge, months in the freezer.

Abillar said it would be much better if many more consumers are aware of the benefits of trans fats-free breads. But that’s not the case, and consumers don’t ask for them. If the demand is there, “we would be forced to offer trans fats-free products, especially if sales go down because we don’t have them.”

“We love to eat,” said Sonia Abraham, the assistant municipal treasurer, explaining the revenue the town earns from breads and pastries. “And we love sweets.”

There are about 15 major bakeries in town, from Ana Katrina’s to Wayway, from Pink Icing to Jatakamina. The major ones are Pecto’s, Pavino’s, Campville, Campitas, Obleas and Dealo Koffee Klatch.

Total gross sales in 2018 amounted to P6.597 million, said Abraham who runs Lucban’s Business Permit and Licensing Office. 

That’s a feat for small-town bakeries. And a business opp to introduce trans fats-free breads and pastries.

It would be an enormous opportunity for the nation as well. The baking of bread, cakes, pastries, pies and similar “perishable” bakery products leads manufacturing industries, according to the 2015 Annual Survey of Philippine Business and Industry released by the Philippine Statistics Authority in mid-2018.

Baking-related 6,704 establishments comprised more than a fourth (27.4 percent) of all 24,496 manufacturing establishments in the economy.