How "good" are those fries? It depends where you live!

Apr 13 2006

When you tuck into those nuggets and fries the amount of fat you are consuming could very well depend on where you live.

According to three Danish researchers the chicken nuggets and french fries sold at a McDonald's in New York City are probably more unhealthy than those sold in Europe.

The Danish trio apparently found widely varying levels of unsaturated fatty acid known as "trans fat" in foods purchased at McDonald's Corp and KFC fast food chains in 20 countries.

According to their research, in the large nuggets and fries meal, the amount of trans fat varied from less than 1 gram in Denmark to more than 10 grams in New York City.

Half the 43 servings tested contained more than 5 grams of trans fat.

Earlier studies have shown eating 5 grams of the fat per day increases the risk of heart disease by 25 percent.

KFC outlets in Denmark, Russia and Wiesbaden, Germany, had the lowest levels, and KFC outlets Hungary had the highest -- about 24 grams.

KFC is owned by Yum Brands Inc.

Steen Stender, of Gentofte University Hospital in Hellerup, Denmark, and the author of the study, says the results show that "industrially produced trans fat can be eliminated without notable increases in the cost of foods or a reduction in the quality or availability of foods.

Stender says it appears that local prices determine what type of frying oil is used, and the content can vary within a country; in the U.S. the trans fat levels of the fries ranged from 5 grams in Atlanta to 7 grams in New York City.

Denmark's low levels were attributed to a law that limits the trans fat content of any food product to no more than 2 percent.

In the U.S. the Food and Drug Administration have this year just begun requiring food makers to list trans fat levels on their labels.

McDonald's announced in February that it had understated the amount of fat and calories in its french fries; its large serving of fries has 8 grams of trans fat rather than the 6 initially stated.

The research is published in the current edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.