McDonald’s develops oil that’s free of trans fats

CHICAGO — McDonald’s Corp. has finally selected a new trans-fat-free oil for cooking its famous french fries after years of testing, the fast-food chain said Monday.

While it has developed a healthier new oil, the company is still not saying when it will be used in all 13,700 U.S. restaurants. It already trails competitors in committing to a zero-trans fat oil.

Spokesman Walt Riker said the oil is currently in more than 1,200 U.S. restaurants after extensive testing, but declined to provide details on timing or locations.

“We can confirm that we’ve got the right oil,” he said. “We’re phasing it in.”

The choice of a new oil comes as McDonald’s and others face a July 1 deadline to begin complying with an ordinance passed by New York City last month making it the first U.S. city to ban all restaurants from using artificial trans fats.

Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald’s has said for months it would comply with such a ban, and said it would introduce any new oil nationwide rather than have a separate oil for its New York restaurants. But it had not confirmed that testing was complete.

Riker said the new oil is canola-based and includes corn and soy oils.

Addressing long-held concerns that changing the oil could jeopardize the popular taste of its fries, he said: “We’re very confident in our test and taste results. … We’re very confident in what we’re hearing back from our customers.”

The Chicago Tribune, which first reported McDonald’s decision on a new oil Sunday, said the company has tested 18 varieties of oil in more than 50 blends during the last seven years.

McDonald’s had been under pressure for moving more slowly than smaller rivals.