We're taking Taste & Quality to the Next Level removing Seed Oils from our Fryers.

We do things the right way, with the right people, and the right ingredients, to serve you the best. Even if it means doing everything the hard way.

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Today, clean-fried has landed. We now fry your crispy favorites in Zero Acre oil. A healthier alternative to seed oils for the same delicious crisp with less greasiness and a smaller environmental footprint. From Parmesan Truffle Fries and Hot Honey & Sage Sweet Potato Fries to Crispy Brussels & Fried Chicken – you’re saving the planet, one bite at a time.

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Our fries are better for a reason

• Majority of restaurants avoid hand-cutting their fries. We take the time to do it right. One. Fry. At. A. Time.  
• Most fryers use seed oils like soybean oil. In fact, most restaurants order frozen pre-cut fries that are pre-coated with seed oils to pre-cut more corners. We pre-cut the seed oil crap and serve you a much healthier hand-cut fry.
• Enjoy a great tasting fry while saving the planet at the same time. That’s conservation for the rest of us.

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‍What's Zero Acre Oil?

Zero Acre oil is made from sugarcane plants - the highest yielding crop in the world, and requires 90% less land to produce than soybean oil.  It's an exceptionally clean and neutral tasting cooking oil that's high in good fats.

‍FAQs

What does clean-fried mean?

• Clean-fried is frying without seed oils. We use premium cooking oil from Zero Acre Farms for a delicious, crisp taste with less greasiness, more heart-healthy fats and a smaller environmental footprint than vegetable oil

What are seed oils?

• Seed oils are a type of oil that are derived from seeds of crops like corn, canola, soybean, sunflower, grapeseed, rice bran, peanut.  
• In order for seed oils to get from the seed to the bottle, manufacturers use high temperatures and harsh chemicals, often resulting in harmful byproducts like trans fats.  And in many cases, synthetic antioxidants are added to preserve the shelf life of the unstable fats in seed oils. These synthetic antioxidants, like TBHQ, BHA, or BHT are known carcinogens.
• While fat has always been a part of the human diet, seed oils were only introduced to the food supply in significant quantities about 100 years ago. First, in the form of shortening (Crisco), and soon after as the myriad of cooking oils we know today, from soybean oil, corn oil, and canola oil, to safflower oil, sunflower oil, and more.

How are vegetable oils (seed oils) harmful to the planet?

• The 4 most prevalent vegetable oils (soybean, palm, sunflower & canola) together emit 1.2 Billion metric tons of CO2-eq every year, or about twice the greenhouse gas emissions of all cars in the US in 2020.
• Vegetable oil crops are among the most inefficient crops of all major food crops in the world.
• Two of the top three drivers of global deforestation are vegetable oil crops (soybean oil and palm oil).

Why are seed oils harmful to humans?

• Seed oils, often called industrial seed oils, are a type or subset of vegetable oils that are derived from seeds and are typically higher in omega-6 linoleic acid, and therefore, may be worse for your health, especially when repeatedly heated.
• The dangers of seed oils come from too much omega-6 fat, which has been linked to inflammation, disruption of cell membranes, presence of trans fatty acids & chemical additives.

What is Zero Acre oil? 

• Zero Acre oil is an all-purpose cooking oil full of healthy fats and made from sugarcane plants. Natural fermentation breaks down raw sugar from the sugarcane and converts it to oil with an exceptionally neutral taste that helps other flavors pop.
• Zero Acre oil is full of the same good fats we’ve eaten for thousands of years and made up of about 93% monounsaturated fat (even more than olive oil), 4% saturated fat, and 3% polyunsaturated fat.
• Zero Acre oil is vegan, keto, kosher, Whole30 Approved®, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, allergen-free, pesticide-free, glyphosate-free, non-GMO, and deforestation-free.

How is Zero Acre oil made? Is it highly processed? 

• Zero Acre oil is made from rain-fed sugarcane plants. Natural fermentation breaks down raw sugar from the sugarcane and converts it to oil.
• Step 1: It starts with rain-fed sugarcane plants.  
• Step 2: Convert the sugar to oil through fermentation (The sugar is naturally broken down and converted into oil – just as fermentation converts sugar into alcohol to make beer or wine. The result is a liquid cooking oil high in healthy fats with a clean, neutral taste).
• Step 3: It’s purified & third-party tested for quality.
• Most all-purpose cooking oils are made by extracting small amounts of oil from resource-intensive crops often using harsh chemicals. Instead, Zero Acre turned to the culinary art of fermentation to convert abundant sugarcane plants into a healthier, more sustainable cooking oil with a clean, neutral taste.

What are the health benefits of Zero Acre oil?  

• Zero Acre oil contains more than 90% heart-healthy and heat-stable monounsaturated fat, even more than olive oil and avocado oil.
• Zero Acre oil contains less of the fats that have been linked to inflammation, heart disease, and poor health, with less than 3% omega-6 PUFA (linoleic acid). That’s up to 10 times less than avocado oil, olive oil, and canola oil and 20-40 times less than sunflower oil, soybean oil, and grape seed oil.

Does frying with Zero Acre oil feel lighter or less greasy?

• Food fried using Zero Acre oil absorbed up to 15% less oil in a frying study compared to sunflower oil and palm oil. While testing in our kitchens, we observed Zero Acre delivered an incredible crisp with a less greasy feel.

Is Zero Acre oil allergen-friendly and safe to consume for those who follow a special diet? 

• Zero Acre oil is safe to consume for those with common allergens, including soy, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, sesame seeds, shellfish, dairy, and gluten
• It’s also certified kosher, vegan, and Whole30 Approved.  ‍‍

Is Zero Acre oil non-GMO?

• Yes. Zero Acre oil is non-GMO, is made from non-GMO sugarcane plants, and contains no genetically modified materials. Zero Acre oil is also Glyphosate Residue Free certified by The Detox Project.

What makes it better than olive oil or avocado oil?

• Zero Acre oil is higher in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and has up to 10x less inflammatory fats than both avocado and olive oil. Zero Acre oil also has a high smoke point of up to 485°F for safer, low-toxin cooking. And it has a clean, neutral taste so you can use it in just about any recipe. The production of Zero Acre oil has a very small environmental footprint relative to olive oil, requiring 99% less water and 95% less land. In addition, Zero Acre oil’s carbon footprint is less than half that of olive oil’s (unrefined).

What are the environmental benefits of Zero Acre oil? 

• Zero Acre oil is an all-purpose cooking oil made from rain-fed sugarcane plants, the highest yielding crop in the world. Natural fermentation breaks down raw sugar from the sugarcane and converts it to oil. This method uses 99% less water than olive oil, 86% less greenhouse gas emissions than soybean oil, & 87% less land than canola oil.
• Compared to the production of soybean oil (which is used in most restaurant fryers), Zero Acre oil emits 86% fewer greenhouse gases, consumes 83% less water, and uses 90% less land.
• Global production of vegetable oils has increased over 1600% since the early 1900s, has doubled in the last 20 years, and is expected to grow 30% in the next four years.
• In comparison, 5 TBSP of corn oil = 98 ears of corn OR 5 TBSP sunflower oil = 2800 sunflower seeds.

How does Hopdoddy make their fries?  What kind of potatoes are they? Are they GMO?

• Hopdoddy fries are hand-cut daily from non-GMO Chipperbec potatoes and then clean- fried in Zero Acre oil (not seed oils), resulting in a less greasy taste, lighter feel, and crispier texture.
• We fry our potatoes in Zero Acre oil for a crisp, delicious taste and mouthfeel.

Why not just use tallow/lard/duckfat?

• Both Zero Acre oil and tallow are good for frying, but in different ways. Restaurant businesses consider many factors when deciding what to use in their fryers. Chefs may prefer Zero Acre oil as it's a liquid oil, which makes it easier for pouring into fryers and it has a very neutral taste that doesn't interfere with other flavors. It's also friendly to all customers who don't eat animal products.
• Nearly all lard and duck fat nowadays is quite high in omega-6 linoleic acid, as a result of pigs and ducks being fed grains high in omega-6 fat, making these fats less stable for frying. Tallow is a more stable fat than other animal fats, but comes with a lower smoke point and stronger taste than typical frying oils. Zero Acre oil has similarly low levels of omega-6 as tallow, while having a sky-high smoke point and neutral taste. Simply put, french fries fried in Zero Acre oil taste better. Whatever the reasons, whether vegetarian or keto, we believe someone’s dietary preferences shouldn’t get in the way of enjoying a great meal.

Which menu items are fried in Zero Acre oil?

• All Shareables (fries & brussels sprouts), the Chicken Tenders & Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich

Which locations of Hopdoddy will use Zero Acre oil? 

• The Zero Acre rollout will start at 10 Austin, San Antonio and San Marcos, Texas locations.

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