"zero fat" news and stories

Have you heard of Z Trim? It's a fat substitute made from plants (also known as "agricultural bi-products") that not only has no fat, but has zero calories. It is marketed as an all-natural weight loss product, but since it can be used in everything from baked goods to soups and dressings, it sounds as though it could just as easily fit into the general health food category.

It was developed a few years ago by the USDA and is primarily composed of the hulls from oats, soybeans, peas and rice, as well as bran from corn and/or wheat, all of which are "processed into microscopic fragments, purified, and dried and milled to an easy-flowing powder," which can then be reconstituted with water to create a very smooth paste that gives a mouthfeel similar to - you guessed it - fat. It has a lot of natural dietary fiber, so it also helps provide a feeling of fullness.

So what does it taste like? Apparently, it's pretty much like other fats and most people can't taste or feel the difference in what they're eating. In fact, a school district in Pittsburgh switched to using it several months ago, but just recently revealed that fact to students, who never noticed the difference and approved of all the food with and without Z Trim.