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McDonald's To Boost Nutrition Of Fried Foods Company To Begin Use Of New Oil In October POSTED: 8:40 a.m. EDT September
3, 2002
OAK BROOK, Ill. -- McDonald's is changing
the oil it uses for its fried foods in a bid to boost the nutritional value of
its menu. The fast-food giant says the
new cooking oil will cut trans fatty acids by 48 percent and saturated fat by 16
percent, while increasing the more beneficial polyunsaturated fat by 167
percent. "It's a win-win for our
customers because they are getting the same great french fry taste along with an
even healthier nutrition profile," said Mike Roberts, president of
McDonald's USA. "America's favorite French fries are about to get even
better." McDonald's worked with its
longtime supplier Cargill to develop the new oil, which it will begin using in
October. By February, McDonald's will
use the new oil at all of its 13,000 domestic locations to make Chicken
McNuggets, Filet-O-Fish, hash browns and crispy chicken sandwiches, in addition
to its french fries. Health experts are applauding
the company's move. Dr. Meir Stampfer, a professor
from Harvard School of Public Health, said removing trans fat from people's
diets could help "prevent thousands of heart attacks every year." Stampfer hopes McDonald's
eventually removes trans fatty acids from all its food. "From a nutrition
standpoint, this is going to have a major and immediate impact," said Dr.
Dean Ornish, founder of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute.
"McDonald's will be positively impacting the nutritional value of meals
eaten by millions of consumers every day." The move comes three weeks
after a 272-pound man sued McDonald's and three other fast-food chains, alleging
they caused his obesity. Company executives insist the move is unrelated, saying
the change had been planned for years, reported SmartMoney.com. |