McDonald's to reduce the amount of trans fats in its products

McDonald's has unveiled plans to reduce the amount of potentially harmful trans fats in products it sells in the UK. 

The fast-food giant is to bring in a new blend of cooking oil by mid-2008 at 6,300 outlets across Europe, in response to concerns over links between trans fats, increased cholesterol levels and coronary heart disease. 

It has no plans to cut trans fats – which are made from a vegetable oil base and are used as an ingredient in processed foods - in products sold in its US outlets.

The new McDonald’s cooking oil – which will contain rapeseed oil and sunflower oil with high concentrations of oleic acid - will have a maximum trans fat content of 2% and a maximum saturated fat content of 12%, the company said.

Rival fast-food chain KFC pledged last month to stop using trans fats in the UK "as soon as possible". 

The announcements reflect a wider trend in the UK, with Food and Drink Federation estimates showing that trans fats are being phased out of food products with a retail value of £1.5b.

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By Daniel Thomas

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