In September 2002, McDonald's issued a statement announcing a significant reduction of trans fats(Trans fats are formed when liquid vegetable oils go through a chemical process called hydrogenation. Common in a range of food products — biscuits, chips, doughnuts, crackers — the hydrogenated vegetable fat is used by food processors because it is solid at room temperature and has a longer shelf life.
The Harvard School of Public Health think that 30,000 or more premature heart disease deaths are caused each year by trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils in food supplies. ) in its fried menu items — french fries, chicken McNuggets, Filet-O-Fish, Hash Browns and crispy chicken sandwiches — with the introduction of improved cooking oil in all of its 13,000 restaurants.
The change was supposed to be completed by February 2003. However, McDonald’s encountered operational issues and the oil was not changed.
An anti-trans fat group claims that McDonald's deliberately allowed the public to be misled.
"Based on a document that we have received, McDonald's has spent a grand total of $457.50 to get the word out to the public that it has not changed the oil. Meanwhile, it has been reaping millions of dollars in additional profits from customers who believe that they are getting the new healthier oil."
Legal action has forced McDonald’s to give effective notice to the public that the oil was not changed. In fact, McDonald’s is required to spend up to $1.5 million on publishing notices to ensure that the public knows the status of its trans fat initiative. If the cost of publishing the notices is less than $1.5 million, the difference will be donated to the American Heart Association. McDonald’s will also donate $7 million to the American Heart Association.
But when all is said and done , do u think that misleading the ppl and being caught in the act has lead them to donate the money ? Otherwise if nobody had pointed it out wouldn they hav continued with pretence of providing food prepared in healthier food?