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CNN Live Today
McDonald's to Change to Healthier Oil
Aired September 03, 2002 - 10:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: It is a fast-food fight that could be brewing. Beginning next month, McDonald's has announced it will change how it cooks its famous French fries and other fried foods. The company says it will use a different cooking oil, which it promises will not sacrifice taste, but any time a company tinkers with a tried and true product, it risks anger some local -- actually, loyal customers. Remember New Coke?
Our Chicago bureau chief, Jeff Flock has more for us. McDonald's is headquartered in nearby Oakbrook, Illinois. He is in Chicago, in front of the McDonald's -- did you grab any fries this morning, Jeff?
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CHICAGO BUREAU CHIEF: I can't say that I did, Daryn...
KAGAN: They are so tasty at this time of the morning.
FLOCK: ... but we are here at -- I know, it is tempting. This is what was a little bit ago the world's busiest McDonald's. It is called the Rock 'N' Roll McDonald's, right here on the -- near north side of Chicago. Very busy place, kind of a cool place to go, we thought a good place to go and try to get some sense of what people are thinking about this.
Now the numbers -- if you have heard them, are this -- they are reducing trans-fatty acids in the oil by 48 percent, saturated fat by 16 percent, and increasing the good polyunsaturated fat by about 167 percent. And this, of course, affects their fries and all their other fried foods, and I have got a man with a McDonald's cup in his hand. Good morning there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning.
FLOCK: You said you eat here how often?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Daily.
FLOCK: Daily. So the fat content, does it bother you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I think it is interesting that they had complaints about the oils that they were using, and then that they actually did something about that, I think that is pretty interesting.
FLOCK: Now, you look like -- if Sike (ph) is able to show you here, you don't look like you have a problem with fat, although that may not have anything to do with McDonald's food. What is your deal on that? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I am a very active person, so either way, it doesn't really affect me, because I burn off any fat anyway, but I think it is very good that they actually did something.
FLOCK: And lastly, I guess one of the other reasons for coming here, got to be taste. Are you concerned that if they start changing the oil around, taste could be a problem for you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You never know. It might improve the taste.
FLOCK: There is a man with a lot of positives. OK. Don (ph), I appreciate the time, thanks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Thanks a lot.
FLOCK: A man who eats here, he says so much that it amazes even him. A lot of people, of course, eating at McDonald's, there are 30,000 McDonald's restaurants like this one around the world, so anything that they do definitely has a big impact on people, 13,000 restaurants in the U.S. alone, and they say by February, Daryn, this change will be in place. It starts in October.
That's the latest from the Rock 'N' Roll McDonald's in Chicago -- back to you.
KAGAN: Very good. Jeff Flock in Chicago. Thanks so much.
Talking about reduced fat is practically a mantra these days. Our medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has been taking a closer look at the potential health benefits of the change of cooking oil. And we enjoy her anyway, but she brought French fries with her.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I am especially popular today.
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: You like me even more.
KAGAN: What is so bad about this fat?
COHEN: What is bad about the fact that they are getting...
KAGAN: No, the actual fat, what is wrong with it?
COHEN: Well, what is wrong with trans-fat and saturated fat is that they clog your arteries. They are still in the fries, but they are there in a lower amount. And what they did is McDonald's put in more fat that doesn't clog your arteries.
There is good fat and there is bad fat. So McDonald's is lowering the bad fat, and increasing the good fat. And there you see those fries boiling. I can taste them already, and you can see that oil, it gets in there, so it makes a big difference. They are not only changing the oil for their fries, they are also changing the oil for their hash browns, for their crispy chicken sandwiches, for all of those items. It will be starting in October, and they will roll it out over the next few months.
Let's take a look at the actual content of the oil, the old fries, the ones that are on sale. Nine grams of artery-clogging fat. The new fries, the ones that will go on sale in the next few months, six grams of artery-clogging fat. So, that is a 30 percent decrease, so nutritionists tell me that is a good thing, but they say put it in perspective. Every day, we at the most 20 grams of artery-clogging fat a day, so if you are getting six grams from one side item, one thing of fries, that is 1/3 of your artery-clogging fat in one thing of fries.
So let me say, what experts have told me this morning, this is not a health food. It is not a terrible food, but it is not a health food, you are not going to lose weight eating these fries. There is 540 calories in one large fry, so you need to keep that in perspective. I mean, one nutritionist said to me, you know what, this is a good thing, McDonald's has really -- this is a great step that they have taken, but what if people do what they did with SnackWells, or with low-fat Entenmann's, where they say, wow, there is less bad stuff in here, I can have three times as much. Well, then you have just completely negated the effect.
KAGAN: Right. And let's talk in terms that we girlfriends can understand -- thighs. I mean the artery stuff is important, of course, but there are still going to be as many calories in that thing.
COHEN: Exactly. Exactly. Just as many calories, and just as much fat also. I mean, there is just as much fat in the new fries as in the old fries, it is just a better kind of fat, it is actually a kind of fat that actually lowers your cholesterol, believe it or not, so better fat, but when you are talking in terms of thighs, it is all the same.
KAGAN: It is all the same, and isn't that just the story of our lives.
COHEN: Exactly, exactly.
KAGAN: And the bottom line also, McDonald's insists that even though they change the oil and change the fat, it is going to taste the same. I find that part hard to believe. I will give you better for you and all that kind of stuff, but I find it very hard to believe it is not going to taste different.
COHEN: Right. Well, they said they gave to sort of a focus group, I guess you would call it, and that most people said, oh gee, tastes the same to me. I think the number was 97 percent, but you are right. This is what happened with -- oh here, are our fries...
KAGAN: Watch. Here is Daryn, eating fries.
COHEN: Yes -- it is hard to resist these things. Will they be so irresistible after change it? Who knows. I mean, New Coke certainly does come to mind, but only time will tell. KAGAN: Also, on a serious note, this comes at a time -- it was just a few weeks ago that somebody filed that obesity lawsuit against all these fast food chains, saying that they are responsible for making America fat.
COHEN: Right, right.
KAGAN: I guess if you just eat less...
COHEN: Well, as if you didn't know. I mean, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to know that these will make you fat if you eat too many of them.
KAGAN: Right, and this had to be something that was -- if not years in the making, months in the making. I mean, McDonald's is going to change this in a few weeks.
COHEN: Oh, absolutely. I am sure they messed around with a whole bunch of different formulations and came up with this one, and tested other ones, and this is, I guess, allegedly the one that keeps the taste the same, yet gets rid of some of that bad fat.
KAGAN: And we are asking our viewers what they think, about whether or not you think McDonald's should change the fat and change the way they make the French fries. Send us your thoughts, livetoday@cnn.com.
You know, this is so bad. I put extra salt on my McDonald's French fries.
COHEN: Oh, boy. Yes...
KAGAN: If you are going to do it, you know?
COHEN: Yes, do it up. Well, it depends on how often. Do you eat them three times a day?
KAGAN: No.
COHEN: Well, that makes a difference.
KAGAN: Once a week, maybe.
COHEN: There you go.
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