Red Lobster Uses This Type Of Oil For Cooking All Its Fried Fish

Experienced home cooks know that making a dish just right often starts with choosing the proper cooking oil for the job. The same holds true for chains like Red Lobster, especially given how much food goes through their kitchens. According to the restaurant's allergen information guide, all its fried food is cooked in a blend that includes soybean oil. This makes sense on multiple levels. For instance, using neutral oils – such as the kinds made from soy – won't impact the flavor of your dishes much. That makes it easier to rely on the same cooking fat when preparing a wide variety of items you might find at your typical Red Lobster.

This might come as sad news to folks who are avoiding soy in their diets, since basically everything fried at the restaurant will have some traces of that ingredient. However, a handful of the seafood chain's popular items, like the Live Maine Lobster, don't contain soy. So eating there isn't completely out of the question.

According to the allergen guide, people with soy allergies likely don't actually have to worry about the soybean oil Red Lobster uses in its frying oil blend. In theory, that would make dishes like Crunch Fried Flounder safe options. Of course, you may want to check with your doctor before chowing down at the restaurant. Moreover, it wouldn't hurt to confirm any allergy information with the servers at your location.

You may wonder how folks with a soy allergy could be in the clear when ordering fried foods at Red Lobster. A 2004 study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology points to the processing as a possible explanation. Specifically, it suggests that due to commercial methods, soybean oil doesn't contain enough allergy-related proteins to trigger a reaction. However, as of this writing, it's unclear what other oils may go into Red Lobster's frying blend. So we can't comment on the possibility of other allergens.

Another potential source of alarm bells is the fact that some forms of soybean oil can contain significant amounts of trans fats, which are linked to higher risk of heart disease. In 2007, however, Darden Restaurants Inc., which owns Red Lobster, announced that the chain was eliminating all trans fats from its oils. We have seen no indication that the policy has changed.

Red Lobster's choice in cooking fat might also spark concerns in customers who want to avoid seed oils. Some detractors have expressed concerns that these ingredients are linked to ailments like cancer and cardiovascular disease. However, current scientific research doesn't support these claims. In fact, according to the American Heart Association, seed oils contain fewer saturated fats than animal-based alternatives like butter and lard, making them more heart-friendly. Still, it's every individual's right to choose what they eat. Just be sure to know what you're choosing at Red Lobster.