NEW YORK McDonald's Corp. said all of its 254 locations in New York City have replaced their frying oil with a canola blend, putting them in compliance with the health department's July 1 ban on artificial trans fats.
The Oak Brook, Ill.-based quick-service chain also told Thomas Frieden, commissioner of the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, that in addition to removing the trans fat ahead of deadline, it also cut the amount of saturated fat in its French fries by more than 35 percent.
At the same time, McDonald's revealed that it has quietly introduced the canola-blend oil at more than 25 percent of its 13,000 domestic stores. The chain, however, refused to reveal where those other stores are, saying it did not want to invite comparisons of menu items while it made the transition to the trans-fat-free frying medium.
New York's health department passed the artificial trans-fat ban unanimously Dec. 5. The city's 24,000-plus foodservice operations were given until July 1 to switch to oils, margarines and shortenings that contain less than 0.5 grams of artificial trans fat per serving. Restaurants would have until July 1, 2008 to replace all remaining menu items with items containing no more than 0.5 grams per serving.
The ban allows for a small number of exceptions, including foods sold by restaurants in the manufacturer's original packaging.