Hi Fellow Canuckies and anyone in the U.S. who may be able to answer this...

I have been reading the panick about the new Trans Fat Free Crisco in the blue container and I'm so confused now.

For the past three years I have been using Crisco in my icing...and its ALWAYS been in a blue container...not Green like I've been reading. I have never seen Crisco in a green tub.

So, I don't get it. My icing is always good. I have no problem smoothing it or it falling off the cake. I also read here that the new Crisco in Canada will not be getting new packaging.

I came home tonight, read my Crisco label that I have made several batches of icing with and it reads Saturated fats: 2.5 grams. Trans fat: 0.4 grams.

So, is this Crisco the Trans Fat free? Cause if so, then I'm ok cause my icing has been totally fine. Or???

ya...help?

I haven't tried it but I think I will, especially if it is trans fat free...I usually use the Our Compliments kind just because it is cheaper. I will have to look for it when I go shopping next.

Thanks for the info.

I just checked my crisco package...I have the blue labelled crisco ...in the pre-portioned containers (3 to a pkg) and the trans-fat is 1.5g. Hmmm...I'll have to look next time at the grocery store to see if there's a difference between the big container and the ones I buy.

countrykitty...there is an Our Compliments brand of shortening? Is it 100% veggie shortening or is it Lard?...I saw that one person on this forum (cdn) uses Tenderflake...but thats animal fat. I dunno about that one....

I just made three double batches of icing and tried the VIVA paper towel method and it was totally working and smoothed my icing. (I have relatives in the U.S. and when I go visit, I buy the paper towels).

I'm still so confused about which kind of Crisco I have

Hello fellow Canadians..... I have always used the blue boxes of Crisco and we checked last week and mine said 0.4g trans fat. My icing turned out fine and I had no problems with it. Hope this helps!

Imn4881. I am a Canadian Cake Decorator as you are and I haven't had any trouble or noticed a change in the Crisco I buy as well. I do 1/2 crisco and 1/2 white margerine.

I have also been using the Nos Compliments shortening (all vegetable) and haven't had a problem. However, after looking at the amount of trans fat I may change... my box says 3.5 g of trans fat. Pretty gross!! I've also used the blue boxes of Crisco and never had a problem. I was also confused when reading the other Crisco posts.
Does anyone know if we can get Viva paper towels in Canada?

Debs71 I emailed the company that makes viva to ask if they sold them in canada and they wrote back giving me the canadian company and they have never replied back to me lol I have also emailed the coffeemate company to ask if there was anywhere in quebec that sold all their different flavours like the americans get and have yet to receive a reply to that. (we are sooo boring here) lol all I could find was the vanilla, hazelnut, and irish cream.

i have been using our compliments and only recently swithed to chrisco.... i couldn't tell the diference.... i think you can oder them online i know at home depot they have this shop "towels" they are kind of like paper that have no patter nad are smooth i think i am going to try with them... otherwise next time i am in the us i will buy a bunch

Hey Guys

To first answer the Viva paper towel thing...no we can't buy Viva here unfortunately. I'm lucky cause I go to the U.S. at least three times a year and can stock up (Yay Target!)

Anyways, from the sounds of it, we're already and probably have been using the Trans Fat Free Crisco for a long time. At least I think!??

Now I'm curious as to how the " American ;0) " icing used to be with the old Crisco! Any U.S. thoughts???

Can someone in the U.S. tell us what your Trans Fat is in grams is for the original formula?

Checking in from the US here - NJ.

I recently purchased a large tub of Crisco at Costco and after reading all the posts I got worried, but when I checked the label, it listed the Trans fat as 1.5g. About a week ago I opened it and started using it. So right now I'm still okay - no problems with frostings. I'm dreading the day I can't get this Crisco anymore. I already warned DH the next time I go to Costco I'm stocking up.

I'm wondering if any of you who have not had problems with the 0.4g Trans fat Crisco are using other ingredients that help make up for the lack of trans fat. Maybe the butter or margarine is of a different fat content in Canada than in the US? Just thinking out loud here. Very curious. Why would US bakers all have problems with the new Crisco, but not Canadian bakers?

Hi!

I'm in Texas, and while I don't know what the original trans-fat grams were in Crisco, the store brand I switched to has 2.5. At first, the trans-fat free Crisco was in green packaging, but now the blue packaging either has a banner across it proclaiming it to be trans-fat free, or is the original blue packaging but simply changed the nutrition information on the back of the can. We have both types of labeling here. We're seeing the green labels less and less here.

Deanna

Sugar Plum Fairy,
Yes, see I'm wondering the same thing. Why aren't we having problems? Or at least, why am I not (can't speak for all us canadians I guess) ?

I use the Wilton recipe for snow white butter cream (so no butter, just crisco and butter extract) and if I make a double batch of icing, I throw in a full Tablespoon of merangue powder and it makes it crust up nicely and I'm able to do the Viva paper towel thing (LOVE IT!).

I would love to use butter, but my hands are too warm and it ends up melting all over the place while in my piping bag.

I'm with you cakeguru. My hands are too hot for butter. Even 1/2 1nd 1/2 melts on me. I usually keep an ice pack handy to cool my hands down. As for the shortning i use, I buy whatever is on sale or whatever is the cheapest. Usually No Name or Our Compliments. Depends on what store I am at. However I have used Crisco and I have never had a problem smoothing. I use parchment paper. Or if I want a textured look I go for a quilted looking kind. Then my cake ends up looking like a quilt (as long as I don't move the paper towel too much)

I'm in Ontario and I've been wondering the same thing about the trans fat free Crisco. I've been using the one in the blue can and I use the 100% crisco buttercream recipe.... On the label of my Crisco can, it says 0.4 g of trans fat. I haven't had any problem at all with my BC crusting. I guess we have been using it a while and didn't know it.....?

HTH

Jen

I just checked my crisco sticks and my tub and they both said 0 trans fats and have have been using them with no problems I wasn't even aware of a change. I hope this helps ease some minds.

I just checked my can (large 3lbs) of Crisco and it has 1.5g of trans fat and the small 1 lb box has 0.4g. both for 2 tsp. How is this possible? Has it always been this way? I've never notice any change in packaging.

Looks like us Canadians got away with the Crisco problems scott free!

Good thinking about the blue shop towels instead of Viva! Now that I think about it, they're exactly the same texture.

FYI, you can buy them at Canadian Tire too in the automotive section.

I recently made a post that I found Viva papertowels....I searched high and low and found them at the Giant Tiger store...( I live in London,Ontario)

Also it was my BF's idea to get the blue shops towels...I used them on white icing and had a few blue fluffies to pick out ,didn't have much luck with that as it was sticking....maybe just me,who knows..give it a try!!

Nancy

Canada and the US have different regulations for reporting trans fat. In the US, if it is less than .5 grams than it can be reported as 0, which is why all of the newer crisco's will say 0 in the us. However,

Crisco still uses some "partially hydrogenated" oils so there is trans fat present. The guideline in Canada is .2. If it is more than that, it has to be reported. It is the same crisco. Thus, .4.

Europe is even stricter. I believe it is banned altogether in some countries (no partially hydrogenated anything), or trans fat must be reported, regardless.

Hope this clears up confusion!

Christa - checked out the Newmarket GT and no luck on the paper towels. That was a few weeks ago though.

Yep, my can says "0.4" also. No problems with any icings.

Up until recently I had always made the half butter half Crisco buttercream (can't stand the all Crisco) but lately I've been experimenting with other recipes that use high-ratio shortening. Love it! Much less of a greasy feel in the mouth, and lighter in texture, too. You can get high-ratio shortening at the Bulk Barn. I've tried the WBH house buttercream, and a buttercream that has no butter, but contains whipping cream and half-and-half, and also the meringue buttercreams. Yummy!

I've checked my local Giant Tiger several times, and no Viva. The first time I went, the spot was empty, so I just figured all us CC'ers had bought them. Last time I went, they had filled up the spot with other towels, but I hope that's just because they were out. *sigh* I guess I'll keep checking.

At least we can still buy dragees at the grocery store!

Hmm... maybe since we're so much colder up here in Canada, the weather isn't yet affecting the transfat free crisco icing. It'll be interesting in the summer. Or I think that our icing sugar might have more cornstarch in it than the American stuff. Hmm....

I've used the new Crisco for a while now with no problems using the Buttercream Dream recipe.

On the Viva note, I have always been able to find it at my local london drugs or grocery stores in Calgary and Vancouver, but the Viva I get still has patterns on it so I get those designs on the cake! Parchment or Melvira's method for me!

American piping in here.

I happen to have an "old" crisco in the blue can and and a "new" crisco in a blue can with a green banner proclaiming it's trans-free.

Guess what folks, the nutritional facts are exactly the same on BOTH cans. So what is the big deal about being trans-free, it didn't seem to require any change of ingrediants or even a process change.

IT"S THE SAME STUFF IT ALWAYS WAS!!!!

At least that is how I am reading it.

I sure hope that is acts the same since all my attempts to find another recipe that won't melt in my bag have failed.

mommachris

Thanks darcat & Cake_Princess... I have yet to try the "Viva" trick, but am glad to hear we can't use other kinds.