From the SuperSizeMe Board
McDonald's slammed for trans fats
By CBC Staff
11/1/04
TORONTO - A nutrition advocacy group is slamming McDonald's Restaurants for failing to get trans fats out of its cooking oil.
The company vowed it would eliminate trans fats from its menu two years ago, but still uses the same cooking oil as then.
So the U.S.-based Center for Science in the Public Interest launched an ad campaign this fall to call the fast food giant on its broken promise, taking out full-page ads in newspapers such as the New York Times.
"Was it because they couldn't find enough of the right oil? Did the fries taste a little bit different?" said Michael Jacobson, executive director of the centre, a consumer advocacy group interested in science and nutrition. "Was the whole project just a nuisance?"
McDonald's refused the CBC's request for an interview, but issued a statement: "The fact that a company like McDonald's was unable to follow through on a publicly stated commitment ...speaks to the complexity and challenges facing the...industry in obtaining an adequate replacement for trans fats."
Trans fats are artery-clogging fats found in hydrogenated oil. Researchers say they're unhealthy even at low levels. "With respect to risk factors for heart disease, they increase the bad cholesterol in the blood – the LDL [low density lipoprotein] cholesterol," said Bruce Holub, a professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Guelph.
"In addition, they lower the good cholesterol in the blood – the HDL [high density lipoprotein]."
The challenge faced by consumers and companies like McDonald's has been met head on by some, such as the Voortman company, which has managed to get most trans fats out of its cookies, although it wasn't easy.
"We couldn't get the oil companies to do the blending for us so we had to buy the oils here," said Harry Voortman, owner of the Ontario-based cookie manufacturer. "We have different tanks here and we do our own blending and rotating, and we also solidify the oils without hydrogenation."
Most manufactured foods in Canada will have to list their trans fat content on their labels by 2006, but the Center for Science in the Public Interest wants more.
"The ultimate solution will be for the government to ban partially hydrogenated oil," said Jacobson. "It's a nasty substance that simply doesn't belong in the food supply."
Consumers can avoid trans fats altogether by eating fruits and vegetables.