KFC Original Recipe Change for the Better?

news you may not know


Now With...

Soy?

Trans fat enthusiasts were put on notice by Kentucky Fried Chicken that their carefree days are numbered. No more long, lingering luncheons filled with ooey, gooey, oh-so-good Crispy Strips. No more wanton Wings or scintillating Snacker Sandwiches. No more... well, it's too painful to include the comprehensive list of foods that will be forever trans fat free.

Bowing to pressure from health advocates, and facing a lawsuit in Louisville, KFC has joined the ranks of major fast food providers who will no longer cook with oils that contain trans fatty acids. Momentum is certainly on the side of the health advocates, as evidenced by the current debate in New York over a potential citywide ban on the tasty trans fats. If New York follows through with the ban, expect to see the rest of the country follow suit in the near future.

Trans fat, while tasty, is one of the prime culprits in raising the bad type of cholesterol, LDL. It is commonly found in vegetable shortenings and margarines and, as a result, routinely finds its way into cookies, crackers, snacks and fried foods. KFC is switching to soybean oil, which contains no trans fat, for all their foods except biscuits, for which they are still searching for a good alternative. Ahhh, biscuits...

There's still a window of opportunity for diehard trans fat lovers - the transition to soybean oil won't be completed until April of 2007. So, if your taste buds run the health operation at your hacienda, eat fast and eat often. After April you'll be greeted with new signs upon entering your favorite KFC: "Original Recipe Chicken - Now With Soy!"

To learn more about Trans Fat, see this information at the Food and Drug Administration.