Thread: KFC Sued for Fattening Menu

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2070417&page=1

KFC Sued for Fattening Menu
Group Says High Levels of Trans Fat is Harming Consumers' Health
By BHARATHI RADHAKRISHNAN, ABC News Medical Unit
June 13, 2006 — - The fast food chain KFC is being sued for the fat content in its fried chicken, which Center for Science in the Public Interest says contains "staggering amounts" of trans fat.

One three-piece Extra Crispy combo meal has 15 grams of trans fat, which is more trans fat than a person should have in one week, says the CSPI.

"The class-action suit... asks that the court prohibit KFC from using partially hydrogenated oil, or that at the very least, signs be posted in KFC outlets notifying customers that many KFC foods are high in trans fat," said a CSPI press release. The suit was filed in Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

"Unlike McDonalds, where fries are a side dish, here the main item on the menu has staggering amounts of trans fat," said Jeff Cronin, CSPI's communications director.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, trans fat is made when vegetable oil is hydrogenated, or when hydrogen is added to it. This process increases the shelf life and flavor stability of these foods.

However, KFC spokesperson Laurie Schalow issued a statement saying that the suit was frivolous and lacked merit.

"We take health and safety issues very seriously," the statement said. "We provide a variety of menu choices and provide nutrition information, including trans fat values, on our website and in our restaurants so consumers can make informed choices before they purchase our products."

Her statement also said that the company is "reviewing alternative oil options, but there are a number of factors to consider including maintaining KFC's unique taste and flavor of Colonel Sanders' Original Recipe, supply availability and transportation, among others."

Many clinical trials have shown how unhealthy trans fats are, said Dr. Meir Stampfer, chair of the Department of Epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health.

"These include raising LDL (the bad) cholesterol, lowering HDL (the good) cholesterol, increasing weight, and impairing insulin resistance."

However, not everyone thinks a lawsuit is the answer to getting Americans to consume fewer trans fats.

"Legislation to achieve this makes more sense than litigation," said Dr. David Katz, associate professor of Public Health and Director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine and an ABC News contributor. "While I think it's too extreme to sue food companies over everything that is wrong with product composition, it does help get their attention."

Katz said that warning labels may help alert consumers about the health risks in certain foods. If warning labels are placed on ingredients that are unnecessary and potentially harmful, then trans fat would be one such ingredient that needs such a label, he said.

"The best way to change what the food industry does is to change consumer demand [since] demand trumps supply," he said.

They even have a poll. I hate KFCs food but people should be allowed to eat it if they want.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/popup?id=2068708

Should KFC have to change its menu to offer more healthy options?

Yes, their menu has too many unhealthy items.

No, if people like their food they should be able to choose to eat it.

I used to go to KFC till they changed their gravy and coleslaw. Granted it wasn't often coz it's expensive for pigeons. ( Their chickens have shrunk in size. ) But I don't think they should have to change. If people want to eat it....let them. However....if people choose to eat it then they have no right to sue because it's not healthy or they got fat or something. They do post the health information. I don't think they should have to do more than that. I guess they could add more selections that might be healthier....but then it's not the famous receipe either. Sometimes something is so good coz it's so bad. Moderation....moderation.....moderation.

Her statement also said that the company is "reviewing alternative oil options, but there are a number of factors to consider including maintaining KFC's unique taste and flavor of Colonel Sanders' Original Recipe, supply availability and transportation, among others."

I can vouch for the maintaining taste work. I attended a chicken tasting survey at KFC last week. They had a lot of people coming through for that, pretty impressive. One of the test pieces was a real winner, I hope that was the healthy choice.

Oh, what they do to their chickens I just hardly ever make myself eat KFC.

They puck and hurt the chicken before killing it. I have heard that this makes the chicken more juicy....almost can taste the blood in the chicken...

But now I still love some chicken to eat, just not their chicken