Last Updated: 2002-09-03 13:03:38 -0400 (Reuters Health)

By Brad Dorfman

CHICAGO (Reuters) - When consumers gobble down an order of McDonald's French fries they may not think about their health, but the fast-food giant said on Tuesday it will soon be cooking its fried potatoes in healthier oil.

Criticized by some nutrition experts for contributing to a surge in obesity in the United States, McDonald's Corp., said it will begin cooking its fries--as well as its Chicken McNuggets, Filet-O-Fish, hash browns, and crispy chicken sandwiches--in a new oil that reduces trans-fatty acids by 48% and saturated fat by 16%.

Health experts have said that reducing trans-fatty acids and saturated fat, while increasing polyunsaturated fat, can be healthier for the heart.

The fries will still have the same amount of total fat, McDonald's said, with polyunsaturated fat rising 167%. According to McDonald's Web site, a large order of fries contains 26 grams of fat, with 4.5 grams of saturated fat.

The move by McDonald's comes as more focus is being put on Americans' weight problems, with some 50 million people now considered obese.

In recent years, some fast-food chains, including Subway, have competed against McDonald's and others by promoting lower fat, lower calorie items on their menus.

In July, a New York man sued four fast-food chains, including Oak Brook, Illinois-based McDonald's, claiming the contributed to his obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

Some class-action attorneys are looking to take on the food companies and restaurants in the same way they took on tobacco companies, seeking billions of dollars in damages for health problems and deaths.

McDonald's said it will introduce the new oil at its 13,000 domestic restaurants beginning in October and said its goal is to eventually eliminate all trans-fatty acids in cooking oil.

The new oil was developed with agribusiness giant Cargill Inc.

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