Posted on 06/14/2006 5:58:38 AM PDT by rhema
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.
However, "If you put a skull and crossbones warning on every fast food package containing trans fats, that might help get the message to consumers, but the responsibility to ensure a safe food supply rests with the FDA," said Joanne Shearer, a registered dietician and team leader of the Food and Nutrition Services at Avera Heart Hospital of South Dakota. Many experts also believe in the importance of educating the public.
"A warning label is not enough. People need to be educated and understand why eating foods with high levels of trans fat is unhealthy," said Lona Sandon, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and an assistant professor of Clinical Nutrition at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
In the long run, this may have the biggest impact, Katz said.
"The best way to change what the food industry does is to change consumer demand [since] demand trumps supply," he said.
No, if people like their food they should be able to choose to eat it. 2,069
Yes, their menu has too many unhealthy items. 708
Total Vote: 2,777
Then go eat somewhere else.
Rosie: "The spoon made me fat!"
The FAT exists between the ears of the tort lie-yers.
Commie rat b@stard socialist pig lovers that they are.
Precisely.
ps. I think I will go the Colonel today for lunch....thanks for helping me plan my day.
It ain't the high level of fat that is unhealthy. It's the low level of physical activity.
"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."
And personal freedom and responsibility makes even more sense.
Scratch one secret spice off the list.
Someone should sue these scumbag lawyers for trying to "Fatten" their wallets.
Commie rat b@stard socialist pig lovers that they are.What have you got against pigs?
This group is my pet peeve. It's no big secret fried foods aren't good for you if you eat them on a continual basis. Wish someone would do someting about CSPI
http://activistcash.com/organization_overview.cfm/oid/13
No, no, no. Both legislation and litigation are bad. How about saying it is none of the government's business. If a restaurant wants to open and serve steaming glasses of hydroginated vegtable oil and customers buy it, then let supply and demand handle it.
Scratch a liberal and you'll find a totalitarian who isn't quite ready yet to get blood on his hands to rule how he wants.
LOL
This is nothing but trial lawyers trying to scam for big bucks off the fast food industry
BTW I think we should all go to KFC for lunch/dinner this week
I think I'll have the Colonel for lunch.............
I wouldn't eat anything from KFC if I was starving AND you put a gun to my head. But this law suit (and the idiots perpetrating it) is just sick and sad.
We need a legal system like Great Britain's. It's called LOSER PAYS. If you bring suit and you lose, then YOU are responsible for the winner's legal fees!..........
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.