MINNEAPOLIS—Trans fats have been showing up less often in fast-food restaurant meals. Research from the University of Minnesota's Nutrition Coordinating Center has shows major chains have significantly reduced their use of oils that contain trans fat in French fries and other food during the past 10 years. Saturate fat use in these restaurants has either been reduced or stayed steady during the same time.
In a press release from the University of Minnesota, lead researcher Lisa Harnack said the center maintains a food and nutrient database that goes back to the 1970s. "We're able to go back in time and compare the present with the past,” she said. “And we did that in looking at fast-food restaurants," Harnack said. "We found fast-food restaurants are making big improvements in the frying oils, with trans fat going down in most of the restaurants – as well as saturated fat, either going down or staying the same."
According to Nutrition Horizon, the researchers used the School of Public Health's Nutrition Coordinating Center's proprietary database which catalogs the nutritional values of more than 18,000 foods researchers. They reviewed trans and saturated fat levels in French fries from McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Jack in the Box and Dairy Queen.
The researchers found McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's significantly decreased the trans and saturated fatty acid composition of French fries between 1997 and 2008, reported Nutrition Horizon. While Jack in the Box and Dairy Queen didn't show a decrease in trans fats in the time period of the study, current nutritional information illustrated the chains decreased both trans and saturated fats since 2008.
In the University of Minnesota press release, Harnack said the findings are a boon to public health perspective, noting the average American gets about 10 percent of their calories from fast-food restaurants. However, she cautioned these items may not be considered healthy because they are likely to contain a high level of calories and sodium.
The findings were presented at the National Nutrient Database Conference in Grand Forks, ND.
