Transvetten verdwijnen in 5.500 zaken in Amerika.*
De fastfoodketen Kentuckey Fried Chicken (KFC) gaat binnen 1 jaar in al hun zaken in Amerika voeding aanbieden zonder transvetten. Dit gebeurt om puur financiële redenen nadat in juni van dit jaar The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) een forse vordering, wegens de gevaren van transvetten in het eten bij KFC, tegen KFC had ingediend. De woordvoerder van CSPI zegt nu dat ondanks dat de voeding bij KFC niet zoveel gezonder wordt zij de claim nu zullen intrekken omdat in ieder geval de gevaarlijke transvetten uit de voeding gaan verdwijnen. Vermoedelijk zullen MacDonald’s en BurgerKing nu wel volgen omdat ook zij anders een forse claim tegemoet kunnen zien.
KFC
Removes Trans Fats From Menu
KFC
(Kentuckey Fried chicken) has announced that it will remove ingredients
containing trans fats from all of its menu items by the end of 2007. A new study
from Harvard Medical School reveals that trans fats could contribute to weight
gain more than other types of fat. Harvard's research has also linked even small
amounts of trans fats to an increased risk of heart disease.
In
the the wake of a lawsuit seeking to blame KFC for health problems, the leading
fried chicken chain on Monday said it is converting all of its 5,500 restaurants
in the United States to a zero grams trans fat cooking oil.
The
new oil, a low linolenic soybean oil, will replace the partially hydrogenated
soybean oil KFC currently uses. The transition is underway now and will be
completed nationwide by the end of April 2007.
"This
is a win-win for our customers," said KFC President Gregg Dedrick, noting
that the conversion follows more than two years of extensive testing to identify
an oil that offers the same taste as its original recipes with zero grams of
trans fat.
Win-win
is an accurate assessment, with the known health dangers of trans fats and the
legal liabilities KFC was facing for its use of them.
A
new study from Harvard Medical School reveals that trans fats could contribute
to weight gain more than other types of fat. Harvard's research has also linked
even small amounts of trans fats to an increased risk of heart disease.
One
Harvard study found more than twice the risk of heart attacks among those who
ate partially hydrogenated oils, which are high in trans fats, compared to those
with diets low in trans fats.
KFC
is garnering praise for the move. "I congratulate KFC on their decision to
switch to a zero trans fat cooking oil," said Richard H. Carmona, M.D.,
M.P.H., FACS, the 17th Surgeon General of the United States. He encouraged other
companies to follow KFC's lead.
Stemming
Lawsuits
KFC's
decision to eliminate trans fats also frees it from at least one lawsuit. The
Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is dropping the lawsuit it
filed against the chicken chain in June. The suit aimed to compel the chain to
stop using trans fats.
"Partially
hydrogenated oil is a discredited ingredient that shouldn't be in the food
supply anymore," CSPI spokesperson Jeff Cronin told. "While fried
chicken will never be a health food, frying it in trans fat free oil will at
least make it safer to enjoy for your heart."
Wendy's
was the first to eliminate partially hydrogenated oil from its kitchen. Several
fast casual chains, including Chili's, Ruby Tuesday and Legal Seafood have
jumped on the bandwagon. However, CSPI is not satisfied.
"The
question now is when are McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) and Burger King going to follow
suit?" Cronin asked. "Burger King and McDonald's are still stuck in
the past. Any restaurant that uses partially hydrogenated oils should consider
the possibility of CPSI filing a lawsuit against them."
Menu
Impacts
Once
the transition is complete, KFC's most popular signature products, including
Original Recipe and Extra Crispy chicken, will contain zero grams of trans fat.
Other products that will have zero grams of trans fat include Crispy Strips,
Wings, Boneless Wings, Honey BBQ, Buffalo and Crispy Snacker Sandwiches, Popcorn
Chicken, Twisters and Potato Wedges.
Many
KFC menu items today already contain zero grams of trans fat, including: all
Tender Roast Products, Honey BBQ Sandwich, Honey BBQ Snacker, and many side
dishes such as Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes, Corn on the Cob and Coleslaw.
(Nov. 2006) (Opm. Zoals u kunt lezen wordt fastfood in Amerika nu iets minder ongezond doch in Europa verandert er niets. Waarom transvetten zo ongezond zijn leest u hier.)