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McDonald's plans to cut `unhealthy fat' in cooking oil

Fatty, but tasty. PHOTO: AP

McDonald's Corp, the world's biggest fast-food restaurant chain, will use oil with lower levels of unhealthy fats to cook its french fries.

McDonald's will introduce oil with lower levels of trans fatty acids and saturated fat at some restaurants next month, the company said in a statement. All McDonald's 13,000 US locations will use the oil by February for its fries, Chicken McNuggets, Filet-O-Fish, hash browns and chicken sandwiches.

The change comes as fast-food chains are being sued for their high-fat content and rivals such as Wendy's International Inc boosts sales by offering salads as an alternative to fries and Big Macs.

"I guess they're trying to appeal to health-conscious people," said Clara Braun, a 49-year-old accounting clerk having two cheeseburgers, fries and a Diet Coke at a Chicago McDonald's. "There's nothing wrong with that, but I don't eat McDonald's because it's healthy."

Trans fatty acids, created when oil is hardened to become margarine or shortening, raise blood levels of cholesterol more than other fats. Increased cholesterol can raise the risk of heart disease.

The Oak Brook, Illinois-based burger chain will use oil with almost half the trans fatty acids and 16 percent less saturated fats as it raises polyunsaturated fat by 167 percent. Boosting polyunsaturated fat and cutting the trans fatty acids is healthier for the heart, the company said. Total fat content in fries will remain unchanged.

Cargill Inc, the largest US agricultural company, provides cooking oil to McDonald's. The companies have worked together for several years to create a revised oil that didn't change the foods' taste, Cargill spokesman Bill Brady said.

The taste that differentiates a McDonald's french fry from other restaurants' products is derived from flavor additives rather than oil, said Abe Bakal, a food scientist and president of ABIC International Consultants Inc in Fairfield, New Jersey.

"If there was a problem, they would have overcome it with another additive," Bakal said.

Wendy's reduced its levels of unhealthy fats in its oils at least six years ago by converting from solid to liquid shortening, Chief Executive Jack Schuessler said.

In July, an Institute of Medicine report recommended that "trans fatty acid consumption be as low as possible." The US Food and Drug Administration said that trans fatty acid levels may be recorded on food labels in the next few months.

If Americans cut their consumption of trans fatty acids in half, heart disease would decline by about 17 percent and adult-onset diabetes would decline by as much as 20 percent, said Walter Willett, a Harvard nutritional researcher.

McDonald's, Diageo Plc's Burger King, Wendy's and Yum! Brands Inc's KFC were sued in New York state court on behalf of an obese man who holds them responsible for his health problems.
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