60秒科学:French Fries on the Corny Side

French Fries on the Corny Side
A study in the Proceedings¹ of the National Academy of Sciences found that French fries from national chain restaurants tend to be fried in corn oil, which is a less healthful alternative than other vegetable oils. Karen Hopkin reports

Ever wonder what your French fries were fried in? Like bumbling burglars who leave fingerprints² at a crime scene, cooking oils leave their own clues. And by measuring the carbon isotopes³ in French fries, University of Hawaii researchers found that one oil tops all others as the choice to fry fries in: corn oil. That’s according to a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

National chain restaurants typically reveal only that fries may contain one or more of the following oils: corn, canola, soybean, cottonseed, sunflower and palm. But consumers might like a little more info: in a meal of burger, fries and soda⁴, 20 percent of the total calories come from the oil that fried the potatoes.

Analyzing⁵ fries from nearly 200 Hawaiian restaurants, the scientists found that 69 percent of the national chain outlets⁶ used corn oil, compared with just 20 percent of independent eateries.

Corn oil is probably the least healthy of the oils mentioned, with more harmful saturated⁷ fats than canola or sunflower and fewer heart-healthy compounds than soybean. Of course, regardless of what they’re fried in, French fries probably aren’t on your diet. Then again, you’re probably not on your diet either.
 

1 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

2 fingerprints   

n.指纹( fingerprint的名词复数 )v.指纹( fingerprint的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Everyone's fingerprints are unique. 每个人的指纹都是独一无二的。
• They wore gloves so as not to leave any fingerprints behind (them). 他们戴着手套，以免留下指纹。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 isotopes   

n.同位素；同位素( isotope的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the many isotopes of carbon 碳的诸多同位素
• Tritium is one of the mildest radioactive isotopes. 氚是最和缓的放射性同位素之一。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 soda   

n.苏打水；汽水

参考例句：

• She doesn't enjoy drinking chocolate soda.她不喜欢喝巧克力汽水。
• I will freshen your drink with more soda and ice cubes.我给你的饮料重加一些苏打水和冰块。

5 analyzing   

v.分析；分析( analyze的现在分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析n.分析

参考例句：

• Analyzing the date of some socialist countries presents even greater problem s. 分析某些社会主义国家的统计数据，暴露出的问题甚至更大。 来自辞典例句
• He undoubtedly was not far off the mark in analyzing its predictions. 当然，他对其预测所作的分析倒也八九不离十。 来自辞典例句

6 outlets   

n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店

参考例句：

• The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 saturated   

a.饱和的，充满的

参考例句：

• The continuous rain had saturated the soil. 连绵不断的雨把土地淋了个透。
• a saturated solution of sodium chloride 氯化钠饱和溶液