Thursday, October 9, 2008

And this, from Chik fil A

Chick-fil-A, the nation’s second largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain, today announced it has eliminated artificial trans fat from its entire menu. Chick-fil-A is among the first national quick-service restaurant chains to offer a complete menu – from entrées down to condiments – with zero grams of trans fat.

Chick-fil-A’s core menu items have been free of trans fat since their respective introductions, dating as far back as the chain’s first restaurant opening 41 years ago. The chain’s signature entrees, Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, Chick-fil-A Nuggets and Chick-fil-A Chick‑n-Strips, are pressure cooked in 100-percent refined peanut oil (naturally trans fat free). However, Chick-fil-A has spent the last two years working to remove trans fat from the few remaining products, including its popular Waffle Potato Fries, dessert items and, most recently, its breakfast biscuits. The chain is depleting its current biscuit recipe supply and anticipates its restaurants nationwide will be serving the trans fat-free recipe by the end of October.

“Our customers trust us to provide them with products that are created using only the freshest ingredients and most nutritious cooking methods possible, and we take that seriously,” said Chick-fil-A Dietitian Jodie Worrell. “While most of our menu was already free of trans fat, we have been working hard to eliminate trans fat from our fries, breakfast and dessert offerings. We were diligent in working with our supply partners to develop trans fat-free products that mirrored the taste of the original products.”

Worrell has led the efforts in transforming the chain’s remaining products to have zero grams of trans fat. The company also has been diligent to ensure that all of its sauces and condiments are free of trans fat. The only item left on the menu to have a small amount of trans fat is the Chick-fil-A Cheesecake, which has only 0.5 grams of naturally occurring trans fat (and zero grams of artificial trans fat).

According to Dr. Lisa Hark, family nutrition expert, television host, best-selling author of “Nutrition for Life” and mother, “Removing trans fats from all Chick-fil-A menu items is a huge step which can save lives and help reduce health care costs.”

“While we are proud that we successfully removed trans fat from our lunch and dinner menus, we are especially proud of our accomplishments within our breakfast lineup,” said Woody Faulk, vice president of brand development and director of Chick-fil-A’s menu strategy. “Breakfast has proven to be an extremely competitive daypart for the quick-service industry in recent years, and we are confident the diversity of our menu and the fact we have removed trans fat from our breakfast items without sacrificing taste will continue to help position Chick‑fil-A as a leader in the breakfast category.”

“We are also honored that others in the industry have taken note of our efforts to offer customers a broader menu with healthier choices, especially within our Kid’s Meal offerings,” Faulk added, noting Men’s Health magazine editors David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding recently recognized Chick-fil-A in their new book, “Eat This, Not That for Kids,” as being ‘America’s Healthiest Restaurant for Kids.’ “We have been intentional about offering a variety of healthier options for children over the past several years. We now offer a fruit cup as side option as part of our Kid’s Meals, and children also have a variety of beverage choices, including milk, apple juice, or freshly squeezed lemonade. Offering a menu with zero grams of trans fat is a strong complement to our nutritional efforts for children.”

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