KFC Sued For Trans Fats Frying Foods
Category : Women Health, Women Lifestyle
A watchdog group sued Yum Brands Inc. division KFC Tuesday over the use of trans fat oil in the restaurant chain’s fried food. A doctor and a consumer group have sued KFC in an effort to stop the chicken chain from cooking with high-fat partially hydrogenated oil.
Dr. Arthur Hoyte, a retired physician from Rockville, Md., and the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), want a judge to order Kentucky Fried Chicken to use other types of cooking oils or make sure customers know about trans fat content immediately before they make a purchase.
The class action lawsuit filed in Superior Court in Washington, D.C., seeks to stop KFC from using partially hydrogenated oil, which the plaintiff Center for Science in the Public Interest claims kills 50,000 Americans each year. Short of stopping its use, the lawsuit asks that KFC be made to post signs notifying customers of the use of trans fat.
“By frying in such a dangerous oil, KFC is making its unsuspecting consumers’ arteries extra crispy,” said Michael F. Jacobson, the group’s executive director, in a reference to one of the chain’s popular menu items.
The suit, which seeks class action status, marks a change of tactics for the Washington-based organization, which gained the reputation as the “food police” in the 1990s when it declared fettuccine Alfredo “a heart attack on a plate” and publicized the fat, calorie and sodium content of Italian food and other popular ethnic cuisines.
The US Agriculture Department’s 2005 dietary guidelines suggest eating as little partially hydrogenated oil, or trans fat, as possible. This year the federal government forced food companies to specify on labels the level of trans fat in products.
According to the complaint, “KFC has deceptively advertised and misrepresented to its customers and consumers, both in its stores and on its website, that  . . .  KFC food products could be consumed as part of a nutritionally healthy lifestyle”.
A KFC spokesperson said the company believes the lawsuit is frivolous, adding that KFC products meet governmental guidelines and KFC provides choices and nutritional information, including trans fat values, on its Web site and in its restaurants. She said KFC provided a variety of menu choices and nutritional information, including trans fat values, on its website and in the restaurants. “We have been reviewing alternative oil options, but there are a number of factors to consider,” she added.
“All KFC products are safe to eat and meet or exceed all government regulations,” the chain said in a statement. “We provide a variety of menu choices and provide nutrition information, including trans fat values, on our website and in our restaurants so consumers can make informed choices before they purchase our products.”
The CTV and Globe and Mail study found that KFC’s deep-fried chicken pieces (known as Popcorn Chicken) and fries meals had the highest levels of trans fats at a whopping 18.6 grams — a level that if eaten daily may boost your risk of heart disease by nearly 100 per cent.
Burger King’s Chicken Tenders and fries meal wasn’t far behind at 13 grams of trans fats.
Wendy’s Crispy Chicken Nuggets and fries had 5.5 grams of trans fats — at a level that if consumed daily, increases your risk of heart disease by 25 per cent.
The lowest levels of trans fats were measured in McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets and fries meal at 1.8 grams.
Other fast-food chains are already switching to healthier cooking oils. Last week, Wendy’s International said it would begin cooking french fries and chicken in trans fat-free oils.
The advocacy group is using a District of Columbia law that allows consumers to seek relief from the courts when companies fail to disclose essential facts about their products, Jacobson said. The lawsuit asks for attorney’s fees and monetary damages, which could amount to $1,500 per violation. The Center for Science in the Public Interest is listed as one of the attorneys and presumably would share in any fees awarded.
But spokesman Jeff Cronin said, “that is not what we are after. We are just trying to change their practices. The damages are an afterthought.”
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