KFC Goes Trans Fat Free

Posted by Jennifer W. Miner Jan 5, 2007

Not that I'm a huge fan of KFC - the last time I ate there was probably college, and college students will eat anything - but I've got to give kudos: The folks in charge there are working overtime to go trans-fat free. Trans fats are the unnatural unsaturated addition to many, many prepared foods, often unbeknownst to consumers, and are a bigger health risk (coronary heart disease, etc) than other fats.

New York City banned trans fats in restaurants, which may have been what spurred the executives at KFC to get busy finding a good replacement. Whatever the motivation, a big concern over at KFC was that the flavor of the "11 herbs and spices" wouldn't be affected by the change in cooking oil. Wendy's is a fast food chain that has already made the switch to healthier oils, and their sales haven't suffered. And, according to this article in BusinessWeek, management at KFC has also found a suitable replacement, in the form of low-linolenic soy oil. Now, this new oil is also not completely natural, as it was developed by gene-modifying giant Monsanto. However, it's a healthy oil, and the lower amount of linoleic acid equals a longer shelf life for the soy oil.

I used to live on the Upper West Side of NYC, and I'm sure I unwittingly ate plenty of trans fats during my many brunches and dinners out while there. It's nice to know that my favorite brunch restaurants in New York City will be guaranteed trans fat free. And, although I don't see myself popping into a KFC any time soon, it's reassuring to know that if I did, it wouldn't be as bad for my health as it was in the past.