Balance of Food

McDonald's announced it is experimenting with a healthier blend of cooking oil to reduce trans fats in its French fries. The company has been dragging its feet to keep its almost 3-year-old promise. The experiment is happening at a small number of restaurants, though the company would not disclose the location or number of restaurants. In September 2002, McDonald's said it would switch to a new oil that would halve the level of harmful trans fatty acid in its fries. But it delayed those plans in February 2003, citing product quality and customer satisfaction as priorities. McDonald's agreed to pay $8.5 million after it was sued by a nonprofit advocacy group that accused the company of misleading consumers. Canada is phasing out trans fats completely, so somehow McDonald's will need to have a solution for them, so why not for Americans as well? Every time a fast food place, usually McD's, tells us they can't make something healthier, it eventually ends up doing so. The company got sued over dragging its feet, so it might as well do it. It's nice the experiment is happening now, but this should have been settled a long time ago.