041112 McDonald's Slammed for Trans Fats

Toronto, ON - A nutrition advocacy group is slamming McDonald's Restaurants for failing to get trans fats out of its cooking oil. The company vowed it would eliminate trans fats from its menu two years ago, but still uses the same cooking oil as then.

So the U.S.-based Center for Science in the Public Interest launched an ad campaign this fall to call the fast food giant on its broken promise, taking out full-page ads in newspapers such as the New York Times.

"Was it because they couldn't find enough of the right oil? Did the fries taste a little bit different?" said Michael Jacobson, executive director of the centre, a consumer advocacy group interested in science and nutrition. "Was the whole project just a nuisance?"

McDonald's refused the CBC's request for an interview, but issued a statement: "The fact that a company like McDonald's was unable to follow through on a publicly stated commitment ...speaks to the complexity and challenges facing the...industry in obtaining an adequate replacement for trans fats."

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