As a matter of fat

The restaurant industry is coming under growing pressure to take action on artery-clogging trans fats, which are common in processed foods and have been linked to a number of health problems.

In 2006 the federal government will begin requiring the disclosure of trans fats in food sold in grocery stores. Many food companies are rushing to sharply reduce their use of the ingredient, which is found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and help improve the shelf life, taste and texture of foods.

U.S. restaurants haven't been required to reduce trans fats or to disclose the nutrition content of their foods, and they have made little or no effort to remove trans fats from their menus. But efforts to press restaurants into reducing trans fats are gaining steam. A Senate bill would force restaurants to disclose such data on menus. The Food and Drug Administration is reviewing a petition by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an influential consumer advocacy group, to force restaurants to disclose their use of the oils.

The aim of such efforts is to ultimately press restaurants into changing their ingredients, rather than face a backlash from label- conscious consumers once the extent of the fats' use becomes more widely known. The antitrans-fats forces are likely to gain a boost from Canada, which is moving toward restricting the use of harmful fats in processed foods.

McDonald's Corp., the world's largest restaurant company, says that by year end, paper tray liners at its units in the U.S. and in certain foreign markets will include information about trans-fat content. McDonald's, Wendy's International Inc. and Burger King Corp. all disclose trans-fat levels on their Web sites and in-store nutritional brochures.

Yum Brands Inc., which owns KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, doesn't disclose the amount of trans fats in its foods. While many chains -- including McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King, as well as the Yum chains -- are testing replacement oils in their foods, little progress has been made. After pledging nearly two years ago to slash the trans-fat levels in its fries in the U.S., McDonald's says it has been unable to find large enough supplies of a suitable replacement oil.

Trans fats, also known as trans fatty acids, are found in the partially hydrogenated oils often used in food staples and restaurant dishes such as french fries, chicken patties, salad dressings and many desserts. In recent years they have been linked to a variety of illnesses, including diabetes, heart disease and cancer. A recent study at the Medical University of South Carolina implicated trans fats in a variety of neurological ills, including memory loss.

This year the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recommended limiting trans fats to less than 1 percent of total calories on a 2,000-calorie diet -- advice that is hard to follow with restaurant food. A medium-size order of McDonald's french fries contains about four grams of trans fats, which is roughly twice what nutritionists recommend as a daily maximum. Ten pieces of the chain's new Chicken Selects chicken strips contain about nine grams of trans fats -- more than four times the advised maximum.

McDonald's says it still is working to cut back on trans fats. It says it has reduced the use of trans fats in its fried chicken offerings, including Chicken McNuggets, and is using replacement oils in some of its foreign locations.

The big stumbling block for McDonald's and the entire $440 billion U.S. restaurant industry is finding enough alternatives to partially hydrogenated oils. According to the restaurants, there isn't enough of a supply of substitute ingredients, such as canola oil, to meet demand. "This is a very complicated issue, and because of varying market conditions around the world, one size doesn't fit all, and there's no such thing as one particular seed that will work and is available around the world," says Walt Riker, McDonald's spokesman.

About 80 percent of the nation's cooking oil comes from soybeans. Blasting this oil with hydrogen makes it better equipped to withstand repeated use so restaurants don't have to throw out their frying oil with each new batch, and it improves the shelf life of the oil itself and the food it is used in.

Canola oil is one frequently used alternative, and canola producers are moving to increase their production. A number of companies are working to develop other oils that don't have to be hydrogenated to be suitable for restaurants and packaged-food companies.

Critics of the restaurants' efforts point to Denmark as proof that the industry could move quickly if it had to. Last year, when Denmark moved to limit trans fats to less than 2 percent of total fat in processed foods, McDonald's, Burger King and other fast-food behemoths sharply reduced their trans-fat use virtually overnight. In September McDonald's in Australia voluntarily began moving to canola oil.

Packaged-food companies, too, have had some success removing trans fat from foods, such as some Frito-Lay products. McDonald's officials say there just isn't enough canola oil or other ingredient available yet to make that move in the larger U.S. restaurant market.

Some national restaurant chains have successfully reduced their use of trans fats. In November 2003 Ruby Tuesday Inc. moved to canola oil for frying. Executives at the 750-unit chain tested a range of alternative oils, ruling out olive oil, for instance, because it wouldn't heat to high enough temperatures for deep-frying. Canola oil, which is slightly more expensive than partially hydrogenated soybean oil, didn't affect taste -- a common concern of many restaurant-industry executives. Ruby Tuesday, based in Maryville, Tenn., has urged its suppliers to reduce or eliminate trans fats. It even switched suppliers of various products -- such as turkey gravy, mashed potatoes and garlic spread -- to ones that could prove their products were trans-fat-free.

"It's not that complicated," says Rick Johnson, a Ruby Tuesday senior vice president. "It's a matter of choosing to do it, in our judgment."

It is an issue many consumers are taking note of. Morgan Lerner, a 33-year-old Chicago property manager, no longer allows himself one of his favorite indulgences -- McDonald's french fries -- because the restaurant has failed to cut down on the trans fats as promised. "I'm pretty concerned about how (trans fats) affect me and my health," Mr. Lerner says.

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