McDonald’s recently announced that it would replace the oil that its fast food restaurants use to cook its fries in with an oil containing less trans fatty acids.

            Now, Frito Lay is following suit.  Frito Lay, Inc., will eliminate an especially harmful type of fat from its products in attempt to offer more reduced fat snacks.

            By early 2003, Frito Lay will switch from hydrogenated oils, which contain harmful trans-fatty acids, to corn oil.  Corn oil will be used to cook most of the popular chips, which include Doritos, Tostitos, and Cheetos.

            Researchers have linked trans-fats to a greater risk of heart disease.  Trans-fats are produced through a chemical process in which hydrogen is added to unsaturated fatty acids to create a solid or malleable fat with longer shelf life.

            Reduced-fat versions of Lay’s potato chips and Cheetos will join in its Baked Lay’s and Baked Tostitos-and products, such as broccoli flecked chips, are in development to appeal to more health-conscious consumers.

            Michael Jacobson, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, applauds the efforts of Frito-Lay but also says the change will do little to encourage Americans to eat healthier foods; however, Jacobson predicted that Frito Lay’s announcement will prompt other food makers to remove trans-fats from their products.

SOURCE: St. Petersburg Times, September 25, 2002, p. 3A.