Why Long John Silver's Discontinued Its Hefty Big Catch Meal

Some of the most marvelous, grandiose culinary creations to come from America are pretty unhealthy. Glazed donut burgers rule, but no one's praising them for their nutritional value. Perhaps one of the most infamously-unhealthy meals in the U.S. was an artery-clogger from Long John Silver's. Here at Tasting Table, we think the seafood chain doesn't deserve all the hate it gets as the menu boasts a sprawling fish selection, and the price is certainly right. Alas, its Big Catch meal was one instance when Long John Silver's did, in fact, deserve the flack. 

The year was 2013. The Big Catch made its appearance in May and came with 7 to 8 ounces of fried fish, hush puppies, and a side of onion rings for $4.99. It also came with 1,320 calories, nearly 3,700 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of saturated fat, and 33 grams of trans fat. Based on these stats, the meal had more trans fat than adults are supposed to consume in two weeks. Plus, the amount of sodium well exceeds the American Heart Association's recommended 2,300 milligrams or less per day.

It was such a gargantuan meal that Long John Silver's encouraged customers to post photos of their empty Big Catch containers on social media like a badge of honor. However, the meal earned a badge of its own. In July 2013, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) named Long John Silver's Big Catch Meal "the worst restaurant meal in America" — it was discontinued in August.

"Long John Silver's Big Catch meal deserves to be buried 20,000 leagues under the sea," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson in an official press release. "Instead of the Big Catch, I'd call it America's Deadliest Catch." In its lab test, the nonprofit health advocacy organization discovered that — instead of Long John Silvers' promised 7 to 8 ounces of 100% haddock – the meal comprised a nearly identical ratio of fish to trans fats, offering 4.5 ounces of actual fish and 3 ounces of fried batter (yikes). As Jacobson put it, "It's more like 60 percent haddock, and 40 percent batter and grease. Nutrition aside, that's just plain piracy." As for the onion rings, they clocked in at 19.5 grams of trans fat, which is far higher than the 7 grams advertised by Long John Silver's.

This tidal wave of bad publicity might have contributed to the eventual decline of the Long John Silver's chain at large. But, the discontinuation of the Big Catch helped springboard broader industry reform against the use of trans fat. By the end of 2013, Long John Silver's had switched from its previous trans-fat-filled, partially hydrogenated cooking oil to a trans-fat-free soybean oil. Still, the dangers of partially hydrogenated cooking oil were well-known long before the Big Catch made headlines. In fact, New York City had enacted policy reform to phase out trans fats from restaurants as early as 2006.

"Trans fat from partially hydrogenated oil is a uniquely damaging substance that raises your bad cholesterol, lowers your good cholesterol, and harms the cells that line your blood vessels," explains Walter C. Willett, chair of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health (via Medical Daily). Willett adds, "It might have been defensible to use hydrogenated oil in the 1980s, before trans fat's harmfulness was discovered, but no longer. It is outrageous that Long John Silver's foods are still loaded with artificial trans fat and that the FDA still permits it in foods." Beyond the trans fats, excessive intake of sodium and saturated fats have been linked to the development of chronic illnesses like high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, and other cardiovascular diseases.

The exeunt of Long John Silver's Big Catch initiated a larger, general crackdown on trans fats across the country. In 2015, the FDA ruled that partially hydrogenated cooking oils were unsafe, and by 2018, the ingredient was banned nationwide. As of 2021, trans fats exist in processed foodstuffs in the U.S. only in trace amounts. 

Although, health-conscious cultural shift aside, maybe the Big Catch was dropped from the menu because it just wasn't actually all that tasty. A 2013 Reddit thread in r/nutrition features a post that reads: "So I ended up eating that Long John Silvers 'Big Catch' meal ... Yes, it's disgusting. Yes, I felt sick afterwards. No, I will not eat it again." The commentor also mentions that it "would be difficult to overstate the amount of grease involved here."