CHICAGO, Sept. 3 (UPI) -- McDonald's USA wants to make its fast-food offerings healthier, but don't look for fries lite.
The quick-serve giant Tuesday said it plans to use a new cooking oil to reduce trans fatty acids in its fried menu items, cutting saturated fat in its popular french fries by 16 percent and increasing polyunsaturated fat by 167 percent.
In October, 13,000 U.S. McDonald's restaurants will begin using the oil developed by Cargill Inc., to cook everything from fries to Chicken McNuggets, Filet-O-Fish and hash browns. Levels of artery-clogging trans fatty acids would be cut nearly in half.
"America's favorite french fries are about to get even better," said Mike Roberts, president of McDonald's USA. "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."
McDonald's denied the change was prompted by a lawsuit filed in New York last month by a 272-pound man who sued McDonald's and three other fast-food chains for contributing to his obesity.
McDonald's previously had apologized to Hindus and vegetarians for not revealing that it used beef tallow as a natural flavoring in french fries cooked in vegetable oil.
"McDonald's takes very seriously the fact that our local restaurants serve 46 million customers every day around the world," said Jack Greenberg, McDonald's chairman and chief executive officer. "As a leader in social responsibility, McDonald's will continue to be guided by sound science and leading nutrition experts to do the right thing as we work with our partners around the world to continue to reduce TFAs."
Dr. Dean Ornish, founder of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute, said McDonald's switch to healthier cooking oil was significant simply because millions eat their fast-food daily. But it doesn't make McDonald's health food.
According to McDonald's Nutrition Facts a large order of french fries have 540 calories and 26 grams of fat, 4.5 grams saturated fat. Super Size that and the order has 610 calories, 260 from fat, with 20 grams total fat and 5 grams saturated fat.
Cooked in the new oil, trans fatty acids in a small order of fries will drop from 3.4 grams to 1.8 grams, and saturated fat from 2.3 grams to 1.9 grams.
McDonald's did not reveal many details about the new cooking oil but company officials said 97 percent of testers noticed no difference in taste.
