An organization called the Center for Science in the Public Interest is in the midst of suing the fast-food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). It is taking the legal avenue in fighting the fact that the poultry restaurant continues to use partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) in their recipe. The group wants the superior court to ban the use of these unhealthy oils in KFC’s cooking — or, at the very least, force the chain to post notices that alerts consumers to the fact that the fried chicken they are eating contributes to an increased risk of heart disease.
While that sounds a tad hopeful — and something KFC would probably never agree to — the Center has a point. If you aren’t too familiar with partially hydrogenated oils, you still might know of their main ingredient: trans fats. Scientists across the globe universally agree that trans fat is the least healthy version of fat around. Across North America, roughly 80% of all trans fat comes through PHO, a staple of many snacks and fast food.
In the 1980s, consumer groups forced fast-food chains to stop cooking with palm oils and beef tallow because these substances were high in saturated fats. Little did they know, but the replacement would be even worse. Most chains switched to PHO, where the trans fats within it is hazardous to humans because they lowered “good” cholesterol (HDL) while raising “bad” cholesterol (LDL).
This isn’t the first lawsuit over trans fats. McDonald’s shelled out $8.5 million in California because it didn’t hold up to its promise of reducing the fats in its food. In fact, as the biggest fast-food restaurant in the world, McDonald’s said four years ago that it would stop using PHOs in its French fries but has not done so in the U.S. Wendy’s, meanwhile, has started to remove it from its menu.
Many fast-food companies say that they’ve had trouble finding healthier oil, which won’t disrupt the taste and that can withstand the high cooking temperatures. KFC says it has posted the trans fat information on its web site but it hasn’t stopped cooking with it. It’s the second largest chain in the world — plus fried chicken is one of the worst foods for trans fat content, far worse than hamburgers.
The Institute of Medicine is on record saying the only healthy amount of trans fats is zero. The fact that a restaurant still uses trans fat is basically stating that it is putting oils with a longer shelf life ahead of its customers’ health. Hydrogenation is a process whereby cheap oil is heated to 482 degrees F and then hydrogen gas is fused into it.
It takes a few hours, and the oil eventually transforms into a solid. But the hydrogen alters the molecules in the oil, which then causes cholesterol problems in your body after you eat it. Trans fats are linked to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
Trans fats are most commonly found within fast food, frozen foods, baked goods, stick margarine, cake mixes, potato chips, crackers, cookies, and dips.
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Tags: cure diabetes, general health advice, obesity
