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McDonald's Finally Gets Around to Making Trans Fat-Free French Fries

After many years of false promises and deception, McDonald's finally began the switch away from trans fatty cooking oil for its French Fries in some 1,200 restaurants.

Although the fast-food giant made a vow some five years ago to switch over to a "healthier" cooking oil, smaller chains like Wendy's and Taco Bell beat McDonald's to the punch last year.

McDonald's rollout of the newer oil will eventually hit all locations within the next 12 months, a very small but good step in the right direction. Nevertheless, this newer blend of canola, soybean and corn oils -- allegedly a trans fat-free mix -- probably isn't much healthier for you and certainly doesn't change the fact that French fries are still among the worst foods anyone can possibly eat.

It's a virtual certainty -- if your diet is largely made up of fast food fare -- you're accelerating the aging process and compromising your overall health. One of the first steps you can take toward optimizing your health safely and effectively: Make the commitment to prepare your own meals at home.

USA Today January 29, 2007

CNNMoney.com January 29, 2007





 
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Comment on This Article Community Comments (12)
 
 
Posted On Jan 31, 2007
Why are french fried potatoes bad for you?

1. They are potatoes
2. They are fried
3. They are french

Any one of the above is bad by itself, but together they form an unholy trinity.

 
enzo
Savvy User Savvy User, Joined On 11/2006
enzo  
Replied

Russ Bianchi
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 9/2006
Russ Bianchi  
 
Posted On Feb 03, 2007
"Unholy Trinity" aside, I think Enzo has hit the nail on the head...as Steven Colbert loves to satirize, yes..."The French" are The Real Problem...

Who claims to have given the globe high end cuisine?  The French, but they were eating with their hands until Catherine Di Medici showed up with the fork.

What was the French Cultural Minister's back handed swipe at Michelin (a French Company in restaurant ratings to push their French automobile tires) when three French and 3 Star (Top Rating) restaurants were demoted to 2 Stars, and the extra Stars were awarded to 3 Piedmonte, Italia restaurants?  "Well, you know they (The Italians)stole our cuisine!"  When in fact the it was the opposite historically.

Who remains indignant, to this day, over the famous mid 1970's California wine blind tasting, in which French over priced, inconsistent, and over rated wines, lost?  The French.

Who is the ongoing major stumbling block to European Unity?  The French.

Who gets on their high horses about how wonderful Napoleon Bonaparte (mother from Lucca, Italy, and father from Corsica) in trying to unify Europe, by running it through, with cannons, spears and bullets?
The French.

Who celebrates a national holiday of Liberty, Fraternity & Equality, over something like just 14 guys getting out of jail, but then slaughtered tens of thousands over it, with Le Guillotine?  The French.

We could go on, buy there is not enough time and space. Suffice to say the real problem is not a North Korean Wack-Job Nuke Despot, but the French selling First Citizen Kim tanker loads of fancy French Cognac.









enzo
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 11/2006
enzo  
 
Posted On Feb 04, 2007
Sacre' Bleu, Monsieur Bianchi!

Oui!  You also have, with zee hammer, struck upon zee head of zee nail.
Ooh, la la! You must be careful, or some crazee Pierre will slap you with zee silk glove.

Arrevederci,

Enzo


enzo
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 11/2006
enzo  
 
Posted On Feb 04, 2007
Sacre' Bleu, Monsieur Bianchi!

Oui!  You also have, with zee hammer, struck upon zee head of zee nail.
Ooh, la la! You must be careful, or some crazee Pierre will slap you with zee silk glove.

Arrevederci,

Enzo

 
 
 
Posted On Jan 30, 2007
Harold Schultz, Chairman and Founder of Starbuck's, has been playing the same bait and switch game as Mickey D's recently. 

Starbuck's has officially and  proactively issued  press releases (spin) announcing that 10 American cities will "begin" to phase out trans fatty acid in bakery goods sold in their stores. 

Yeah right, read the fine print...in two or three, or whenever Starbuck's maybe gets around to it, YEARS, is the REAL TRUTH.

What about the rest of America and the world? 

Well Starbuck's is taking care to address it's HUGE Chinese market also, with the same kind of announcement...eventually, but let's not hurt shareholder value, or shorter term corporate profits.

The complete stupidity of such a move is the public sees right through this Mr. Schultz, and your mighty pronouncements of social responsibility, while pushing primarily massively profitable cups of coffee is insincere, hollow, and in the long term, you are physically harming the the health of consumers you seek to retain as customers that purchase these trans fatty acid laden sales check extras.

Yes, Starbuck's delivers a decent, but increasingly expensive, service, in coffee, if a caffeine fix is what your seek.  But JUST SAY NO to their UNHEALTHY and trans fat laden bakery goods.

Are there other SLICK marketers trying the announce, and do nothing, trickery on trans fats for consumers?  Yes, but the list is way too long for this comment section.

 
Russ Bianchi
Savvy User Savvy User, Joined On 9/2006
Russ Bianchi  
Replied

mberger47
Novice User Novice User Joined On 12/2006
mberger47  
 
Posted On Feb 01, 2007
Hey, check out this funny funny film I just saw, the Mouth Revolution:
http://www.MouthRevolution.com

Viva la Moutholucion!

 
 
 
Posted On Feb 01, 2007
In processing of Canola oil they have to use a deoderizer due to the oil going rancid and causing an unpleasant smell!  In this deoderizing process Omega-3's are destroyed and trans-fats are created! So technically before the oil is processed, it has no trans-fats, but there is an abundance afterwards and even more when it goes above 320 degrees!  They are tricking us into believing there are no trans-fats, maybe they should measure the food after it has been cooked and ready to eat!
The alternative oils no better because they are loaded with Omega-6's.  Saflower has over 80%, Corn, Sunflower and Cotton seed have over 50% and soy contains less than 50% Omega-6, plus they destroy the little Omega-3 when they use the high heat!
Palm and Coconut oils were used in the 70's, but the Sunflower and Corn oil companies scared you into thinking they were bad due to saturated fat.  In reality the oils don't contribute to heart disese even though they are high in saturated fat, partly due to very little of the oil is absorbed into the potato in comparison to other oils. 
A must read is "Nurishing Traditions"!

 
proatc
Apprentice User Apprentice User, Joined On 12/2006
proatc  
 
 
 
Posted On Jan 30, 2007
Corn, soybean and Canola oil, and they claim it is healthy for you.  Diabetes, thyroid problems and eyesight problems are good for your health.  But this is what the government says is good for you so the government must be correct.  They are being influenced by any one are they?   There are no lobbyist in the halls of congress.  ha ha

mmc88121

 
mmc88121
Moderator User Moderator User, Joined On 11/2006
mmc88121  
Replied

Sheila C
Apprentice User Apprentice User Joined On 1/2007
Sheila C  
 
Posted On Jan 30, 2007
Hasn't McDonalds done such a huge service for their customers?  Not.  I am afraid it it still the pesticide laden potato that it always was.  That will never change.
Sheila

 
 
 
Posted On Jan 31, 2007
I agree with what the article says about french fries still being bad for your health.  We also have to think about how soybean oil and corn oil isn't that great for us either.  I found this site www.palmoiltruthfoundation.com that showed an oil that was surprisingly healthy even KFC switched to it.

It even has a section for recipes. I'm amazed it hasn't been brought to the attention of people concerned about their health yet though.

 
Susan119
Novice User Novice User, Joined On 1/2007
Susan119  
 
 
 
 
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