More trans fat in McD fries

McDonald's has increased the amount of trans fat they're reporting for their french fries instead of decreasing it as they promised to do in 2002. They've admited that they've been under-reporting the amount of trans fat in their fries by a third.

McDonald's now reports 8 grams of trans fat in a large order of their fries as opposed to the 6 grams previously reported.

"It makes it harder to trust McDonald's if they suddenly have strikingly different (trans fat) numbers," Michael Jackson, the executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

In 2002 McDonald's promised to reduce the amount of trans fat in their fries by half. In 2004 they were successfully sued for not fulfilling this promise and ordered to spend 1.5 million to promote their failure and donate $7 million to the American Heart Association.

Trans fats are created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil in an effort to extend the shelf-life of products such as cooking oils. They are reported to increase levels of 'bad cholesterol' thereby increasing the risk of heart disease.

The six grams of trans fats previously reported by McDonald's was already slightly above the FDA's estimates for the average daily intake of trans fats in the average adult American's diet.

McDonald's french fries are among its products highest in trans fats. The only McDonald's products having more than eight grams of trans fats are its deluxe breakfast with 11 grams and the 10-piece chicken select strips, which has nine grams...at least according to what they're reporting.

[CNN]