McDonald's Gets Off Cheap in Trans Fat Settlement

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McDonald's Gets Off Cheap in Trans Fat Settlement

 

A California judge approved a court settlement requiring McDonald's to

pay $8.5 million to educate the public about trans fats, bringing the

lawsuit brought by BanTransFats.com against the company in 2003 to a

conclusion.

 

The suit argued that McDonald's failed to live up to its 2002 promise

to reduce trans fats in its food. Trans fats raise both cholesterol

levels and the risk of heart disease. In 2003, the company admitted it

would not make the promised deadline.

 

$7 million will go to the American Heart Association under the terms

of the settlement, which will use it to educate the public about trans

fats. $1.5 million will go towards publicizing McDonald's failure to

meet the deadline. The company will also pay $2 million for the

plaintiff's attorney's fees.

 

 

Chicago Sun-Times August 27, 2005

 

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

 

If you'd forgotten about McDonald's promise to drop trans fats from

their menu of largely fatty fried foods, at the risk of legal action,

I really don't blame you, as that was probably what the fast-food

giant was hoping for all along. And for failing to do so, they've

gotten off with just a slap on the wrist; $8.5 million is chump change

for McDonald's, especially in light of the damage trans fats can do to

your health.

 

Trans fats are one of the most dangerous fats that you can eat and it

is wise to avoid them. Considering that 90% of the money Americans

spend on food goes toward processed foods this is a serious issue as

that is exactly where the trans fats are hidden - - in processed

foods. It also doesn't help that the average American has four

servings of French fries per week that are loaded with fats are even

worse than trans fats.

 

The problem significantly worsens when these oils are heated. Damage

done by frying starts at about 320 degrees Fahrenheit and goes up

exponentially as the temperature rises. The nature of chemical

reactions is that for every 10-degree rise in temperature, the rate of

chemical reactions (with oxygen, light and metals) at least doubles,

and may even triple or quadruple.

 

Most people believe that frying creates trans fats. That is not the

major problem; although some are created, they are relatively minor.

There are FAR more toxic chemicals produced by frying than trans fats.

 

You need to reverse this trend and spend 90% of your food budget on

whole unprocessed foods. Otherwise, companies like McDonald's will

continue to lie to you and get away with it. The small amounts of

money they lose to lawsuits like these are nothing compared to the

billions and billions they make from consumers every year. If you

think McDonald's has done wrong, the only one can really hurt their

sales is you, by not buying what they're selling.

 

Related Articles:

 

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McDonald's Super-Sized Products Back on Menus

 

The Details Behind McDonald's French Fries