The chicken nuggets and french fries sold at
a McDonald's in New York City may be more unhealthy
than those sold in Europe, a study showed.
Three Danish doctors found
widely varying levels of unsaturated fatty acid
known as "trans fat" in foods purchased at McDonald's
Corp and KFC fast food chains in 20 countries.
Studies show eating 5 grams of the fat per day
increases the risk of heart disease by 25 percent.
In the large nuggets and fries meal, the amount
of trans fat varied from less than 1 gram in Denmark
to more than 10 grams in New York City, according
to the research published in this week's
New England Journal of Medicine.
KFC outlets in Denmark, Russia and Wiesbaden, Germany,
had the lowest levels, and KFC outlets Hungary had
the highest -- about 24 grams. KFC is owned by Yum
Brands Inc..
Half the 43 servings tested contained more than
5 grams of trans fat.
The results show that "industrially produced trans
fat can be eliminated without notable increases
in the cost of foods or reduction in the quality
or availability of foods," Steen Stender, author
of the study stated.
Stender, of Gentofte University Hospital in Hellerup,
Denmark, said local prices seem to determine what
type of frying oil is used, and the content can
vary within a country.
In the United States, the trans fat levels of the
fries ranged from 5 grams in Atlanta to 7 grams
in New York City.
Denmark's levels were low because the country has
passed a law that limits the trans fat content of
any food product to no more than 2 percent.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
this year began requiring food makers to list trans
fat levels on their labels.
In February, McDonald's announced that it had understated
the amount of fat and calories in its french fries.
It had originally said its large serving of fries
had 6 grams of trans fat. The company said the correct
number was now 8.
