Zero trans-fat oil for fast-food chicken

All 5,500 US restaurants operated by KFC, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, should be using the new low linolenic soybean oil by April next year.

American Dietary Guidelines recommend minimising trans fat in a healthy diet.

The new oil will replace the partially hydrogenated soybean oil in current use in KFC restaurants.

The conversion, which follows over two years of extensive testing of oil options to identify the same taste profile, has already begun in many KFC restaurants and is scheduled to be completed by the end of April 2007 nationwide.

“We are pleased to announce KFC is switching to a zero trans fat cooking oil for all of our fried products,” said Gregg Dedrick, President of KFC Corporation. Dedrick said that two years of extensive testing helped identify the new oil as a suitable alternative.

The announcement by KFC was praised by leading health officials, including Richard Carmona, the 17th Surgeon General of the United States. “I congratulate KFC on their decision to switch to a zero trans fat cooking oil,” said Dr Carmona.

“Trans fat has been shown to increase the risk for heart disease. The good news is that people can reduce their risk for heart disease through food choices and physical activity.”