Two fast-food chains now offer trans fat free menu options
in their U.S.
restaurants. This week both KFC and Taco Bell switched to cooking oils
that do not contain the bad fat.
KFC has stopped using oil containing trans fat to cook its
chicken, opting instead for soybean oil. Taco Bell now uses canola oil and soybean oil to
cook 23 of its food items and plans to eliminate trans fat from all of its menu
items in the near future. Executives at the companies say taste has not been
compromised by switching to healthier oils.
Taco Bell and KFC are the
first fast-food chains in the U.S.
to eliminate trans fats from their foods. Other chains, including McDonald’s
and Burger King, have promised to use healthier cooking oils but have yet to
make the switch. Trans fats are considered to be unhealthy because they raise bad
cholesterol levels which contribute to serious health conditions like coronary
artery disease.