Why can't all restaurants remove trans fat from their menus?

Question

Trans fat, existing only from the artificial partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, is terrible for your health and not needed in any levels in your body. It's completely artificial, and is only used because it saves companies a little bit of money, and makes food taste a little better - it lasts longer and keeps foods more moist.

However, while this oil makes the salty, fatty foods served at most fast food and chain restaurants even worse for you, restaurants continue to use it. There are oils out there like sesame seed oil and olive oil which even when processed, are still good for your health, filled with beneficial unsaturated fats.

I just want to know why more isn't being done to prevent these restaurants from removing trans fat from their menus? New York City has passed a law banning it, but how far behind is the rest of America? Couldn't the huge healthcare debts in America be subsided significantly if trans fat were eliminated from all foods?

Answer 1

Money is the main reason chains are resistant to change. Inconvenience and taste are others. As long as there are enough apathetic customers who don't care about their health, there is little incentive to switch over to healthier fats.

Fortunately, there is a groundswell for healthier foods and some major chains are making the switch. Most of the rest will probably follow.

Answer 2

McDonalds, Burger King, and many of the other fast food chains are in the process of changing the oil they use to trans fat free oil. Hopefully it will go into effect soon.

Answer 3

but, remember in a restaurant, they are just going to use butter now. So it's a step in the right direction, but we all need to eat better, so that when we do go out, it's not so bad.

Answer 4

It's all about the money.