Applebee's Latest to Remove Trans Fat from Their Food

Chain Will Make Changes Nation-wide

After three years of research into replacement oils, Applebee's International Inc. announced today that it will stop using trans fat frying oil at more than 1,800 of its restaurants nationwide.

The company will switch to a blend of two soybean oils that it claims does not compromise the taste, texture or quality of its menu items.

Trans fat is made when hydrogen is added to liquid cooking oils to harden them for baking or a longer shelf-life. The process turns them into "partially hydrogenated oils", which may increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other ailments.

According to Applebee's, the company will replace the pan and grill oil it uses to cook fish and shrimp with a trans fat-free version. It is also working with suppliers to remove trans fat from processed foods like desserts and appetizers.

The changes shouldn't affect the price of the food and have not been implemented outside the United States. The company did not say if it plans on making the change in other countries later.

Trans fats are a type of unsaturated fat that are found in small quantities in meat and dairy products but are also found in high quantities in some of the plant oils used by the restaurant industry to prepare its food and to increase its shelf life.

Unlike other fats, which are needed to some extent for good health, trans fats have no nutritional value and eating them could lead to heart disease and other health problems, including the lowering of HDL Cholesterol (commonly referred to as "good" cholesterol) in the body. Trans fats found in the cooking oils tend to be more harmful because they go through a process to make the oils more solid and come in much higher quantities than you would normally find naturally in a piece of meat. The National Academy of Sciences, which advises the United States government on nutritional science and the World Health Organization both limiting trans fats to less than 1 percent of your total intake.

The move comes at a time of both political and consumer pressure are forcing restaurants to find healthier alternatives to make their foods.