McDonald’s discloses ‘worrying’ fat levels increase in fries

McDONALD’S, the world’s largest restaurant chain, says its French fries contain a third more trans fats than previously thought, following a new testing method it began using in December.

That means that the level of potentially artery-clogging trans fat in a portion of the fast food giant’s large fries is 8 grammes, up from six, with total fat increasing to 30g from 25g. Often used by restaurants and in packaged foods, trans fats are thought to cause cholesterol problems and increase the risk of heart disease.

Last night’s disclosure comes as McDonald’s starts rolling out packaging in the US containing facts about menu items’ nutritional content - a move made voluntarily but with the fast-food industry under pressure from consumer groups and government to provide more information. McDonald’s said it updated the nutrition info on its website last month as soon as it discovered the new level of trans fat.