Is fast-food complying with the new California trans-fat ban?
July 30th, 2008, 3:00 am · 9 Comments · posted by Nancy Luna, Staff Writer
California is the first state to ban the use of artery-clogging trans-fat, which is commonly found on menu items in the fast-food industry.
The new law, signed by the governor last week, forces all restaurants to eliminate trans fat from menus by 2010. Bakeries must comply by 2011. Seeing the writing on the wall, many fast-food chains began cooking with trans-fat free oils more than a year ago. (Everything from fried chicken, French fries & tortilla chips are affected.) (Learn more about trans fats.)
Here’s a sta
tus update on the major chains:
McDonald’s: The burger chain completed the conversion to a zero gram trans-fat canola blend cooking oil in 14,000 U.S. restaurants at the end of May. Baked goods are also in compliance, the company said. (CLICK photo to enlarge)
Wendy’s: All units in compliance.
CKE Restaurants (Carl’s Jr. & Hardee’s): The company said it will have trans-fat free cooking oil rolled out to all Carl’s Jr.and Hardee’s restaurants by the end of the year.
Taco Bell: The Irvine-based Mexican fast-food chain switched “all our restaurants nationwide to a zero grams trans fat oil in April 2007 and will be in com
pliance with the California law,” the company said.
Del Taco: The Lake Forest-based Mexican fast-food chain is not quite there yet. The chain is still researching alternatives, and plans to be in compliance by the 2010 deadline.
Chipotle Mexican Grill: In compliance since 2004.
In-N-Out Burger: Never had to change because the chain uses vegetable oil, which is trans-fat free.
KFC: Still working on it. The chicken chain eliminated trans fats from all fried chicken and potato wedges in April 2007. KFC is still working on eliminating trans fats in other menu items, like biscuits, pot pies and desserts. That switch will be complete in early 2009, the company said this week.
El Pollo Loco: “We are in compliance with all menu ingredients except mashed potatoes,” said Julie Weeks, a spokeswoman for the Costa Mesa-based chain. A trans fat free version of mashed potatoes is currently in test and will be completed shortly, she added.
Fatburger: The burger chain eliminated the use of trans-fat oils in March 2007.
Charo Chicken: The Orange County-based chicken chain deleted trans fat oils from its menu a year and a half ago.
Jack in the Box: “We’re currently testing trans-fat-free oil at some of our restaurants and
will certainly comply with any legislation passed regarding this issue,” company spokeswoman Kathleen Anthony said.
Panera Bread: The fast-casual sandwich chain eliminated trans fat from its menu about 2 years ago.
Others: While not fast-food, Tustin-based Mimi’s Cafe said it uses only zero grams trans fat, cholesterol-free cooking oil at all 135 locations in 22 states.
(Photo by Register photographer ANTHONY CASTELLANO)
Related story:
- Brea-based oil supplier benefits from trans-fat free trend
- Officials ban new fast-food outlets in parts of Los Angeles. (LAT)
July 30th, 2008 at 7:52 am
Who cares? We know what we are eating…
July 30th, 2008 at 7:58 am
why goverment keep interfere with people’s choices????
July 30th, 2008 at 9:27 am
I’m so happy we have our government in place to tell us what we are allowed to eat. How would we ever get through the day without them?
July 30th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Your liberal government at work. You now can not eat what you think taste good. It has to be something the government decides you can eat. Earth to CA liberal democrat wackos, you have not examined what is being used to replace the trans-fats. These compunds have beed confirmed by studies to be many times more dangerous than the trans-fats themsleves. Democrats will not realize this for many years and when the pubic finds out what the liberals have forced down their throats, the wackos will blame the resturants. The democrtas will expect that you have forgotten it was they who forced the change. Just watch this unfold.
July 30th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Politics aside, I appreciate the round-up of trans-fat elimination progress at my favorite fast food chains. Thanks Nancy.
July 31st, 2008 at 10:03 am
Dear Nancy,
I fear that the public is being misled by your article in the paper today.
While it is wonderful that the restaurants are changing to oils that have
no trans-fat, what is being neglected to be told is that even oils with no
trans-fat are very dangerous once they have been used for too long or are
ever re-used or re-heated. Not only do they release dangerous toxins, they
once again become artery cloggers. I don’t think the change in law will
help many fast food customers unless they can be sure the oil that their
fries were cooked in was fresh that morning and changed several times
during the day. Those that cook with oil at home should never save it and
re-use it. I wish the people who write the laws governing food and
restaurants would do a complete job in researching products they are trying
to change.
Changing oil before it becomes rancid has nothing to do with what I am referring to, Nancy.
August 12th, 2008 at 8:11 am
Cecil, you must be a special breed of pathetic posting comments on ocregister.com from out of state to complain about how “liberal” CA is .
August 29th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
i hate the new oil. it is disgusting. I guess the government will win their battle of the bulge, especially in my case, because I no longer eat any of my favorite fast foods due to the nasty, unnatural taste resulting from the change.
October 3rd, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Nancy, thank you for keeping tabs on this important issue. Trans fats are the kind of background in-the-kitchen technique that would never have been phased out if it hadn’t been for government agency intervention.
The effects of this dangerous process would take decades to reveal damage to the eaters, and therefore it would have taken decades for the industry on it’s own to react.
It’s simple: thousands of lives were saved because of government and advocacy groups intervention and leadership.
How do you like that “liberal government at work” now, Cecil?