Trans Fat-Free Fast Food Coming

When it comes to being health conscious, McDonald's and Frito-Lay aren't exactly trailblazers, but both companies took a huge leap forward recently by announcing they were switching cooking oils to reduce and even eliminate trans fat in many popular foods.

Diets high in trans fat have been linked to elevated levels of cholesterol and an increased risk of heart disease.

McDonald's will begin cooking its fries and other fried foods in a new oil that reduces trans fatty acids by 48 percent and saturated fat by 16 percent.

Frito-Lay will eliminate all trans fat from three of its most popular brands of chips: Doritos, Cheetos and Tostitos. Calorie and overall fat totals, however, will largely remain the same.

Many believe McDonald's and Frito-Lay will be just the first of many companies to make the switch following the Food and Drug Administration's proposal to require warning labels on food containing trans fats.

This appeared in ACE FitnessMatters, ACE's official magazine.
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