THE FAT IS BACK : AMC THEATER CHAIN TO RESUME POPPING CORN IN COCONUT OIL.Byline: Dave McNary Daily News Staff Writer AMC (Advanced Mezzanine Card) See AdvancedTCA. Entertainment, the nation's third-largest movie chain, is returning to using coconut oil coconut oil n. A pale yellow to colorless oil or a white semisolid fat obtained from the flesh of the coconut, widely used in food products and in the production of cosmetics and soaps. Noun 1. to pop its popcorn despite health concerns over high-fat content, saying it is responding to its customers' wishes. ``Our customers have told us they want the best taste possible from the popcorn,'' said Caye Crosswhite, director of corporate communications Corporate communications is the process of facilitating information and knowledge exchanges with internal and key external groups and individuals that have a direct relationship with an enterprise. for AMC. ``We're committed to making the experience of moviegoing more enjoyable.'' AMC made the decision following surveys of customers who sampled four varieties - popcorn made with coconut oil, canola oil Noun 1. canola oil - vegetable oil made from rapeseed; it is high in monounsaturated fatty acids canola vegetable oil, oil - any of a group of liquid edible fats that are obtained from plants , sunflower oil and air-popped. The coconut oil popcorn was the most popular. AMC began offering patrons a choice Friday of coconut oil-popped popcorn and air-popped popcorn at its theaters near its headquarters in Kansas City Kansas City, two adjacent cities of the same name, one (1990 pop. 149,767), seat of Wyandotte co., NE Kansas (inc. 1859), the other (1990 pop. 435,146), Clay, Jackson, and Platte counties, NW Mo. (inc. 1850). , Mo. Crosswhite said AMC, which operates 230 theaters with 1,926 screens, will switch to coconut oil in other regions over the next several months with the speed and extent based partly on public reaction. The industry mostly abandoned coconut oil following a 1994 report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest that found the average large popcorn serving at theaters had 73 grams of saturated fat saturated fat, any solid fat that is an ester of glycerol and a saturated fatty acid. The molecules of a saturated fat have only single bonds between carbon atoms; if double bonds are present in the fatty acid portion of the molecule, the fat is said to be - equivalent to the amount contained in nine McDonald's Quarter Pounders and nearly four times higher than the suggested daily maximum of 20 grams of saturated fat. The center's report also showed the serving contained 126 grams of total fat, or nearly twice the recommended daily maximum of 65 grams. In response, most chains began offering popcorn popped in sunflower or canola oil. Executives for Pacific Theatres, which uses canola canola see brassicanapus. , and Cineplex Odeon O`de´on n. 1. A kind of theater in ancient Greece, smaller than the dramatic theater and roofed over, in which poets and musicians submitted their works to the approval of the public, and contended for prizes; - hence, in modern usage, the , which uses sunflower, both said sales have not dropped off since 1994 and added they have no plans to change. ``We have had a lot of inquiries about going back to coconut oil,'' said Chan Wood, executive vice president for Los Angeles-based Pacific. ``We'll certainly be watching what happens.'' Howard Lichtman, executive vice president for Toronto-based Cineplex, said, ``We're committed to the more healthy offering. It's very tasty.'' Jayne Hurley, a senior nutritionist nu·tri·tion·ist n. One who is trained or is an expert in the field of nutrition. nutritionist Dietitian, see there with the Washington, D.C.-based watchdog organization, said she was disappointed by AMC's decision and urged AMC to post warnings about the fat content of coconut oil-popped popcorn. She said sales would likely decline significantly if AMC took such a step. ``This type of popcorn is clearly one of the most unhealthy foods for people,'' she said. ``It's worse for you than if you cooked it in beef fat.'' Hurley said AMC's offer of air-popped popcorn as a healthy alternative is meaningless since moviegoers will not buy it. She said the United Artists chain had tried offering air-popped popcorn several years ago and found few takers. ``Air-popped popcorn tastes like Styrofoam,'' she said. ``It's going to bomb.'' AMC, which ranks behind the Carmike and United Artists circuits in number of screens, has been among the most aggressive movie chain in the industry in recent years. It has been in the lead of opening megaplexes with more than 20 screens and routinely discounts its concessions at 15 percent to 20 percent below the industry average. Moviegoer mov·ie·go·er n. One who goes to see movies. mov  ie·go ing adj. Anna Varnon of Burbank said she agrees with AMC's decision. ``People are pretty savvy these days about diet,'' she said. ``I know that if I eat this popcorn, I won't be able to fit in my car. I'll just have to get a bigger car . . . or a truck.'' |
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