McDonald's says no trans fat in China fries

    In a news release, the Oak Brook, Illinois-based McDonald's said yesterday it uses only fatty acid-free palm oil to make french fries in China.

    "The taste of McDonald's is the same all over the world. However, we adjust our ingredients to match the different situations in disparate markets," the company said in the statement issued by its China headquarters in Shanghai.

    Often used by restaurants and in packaged foods, trans fats are thought to cause cholesterol problems and increase the risk of heart disease.

    McDonald's said results of a new testing method it began using in December showed that the level of trans fat in a portion of large fries is 8 grams, up from 6 grams, with total fat increasing to 30 grams from 25 grams.

    The disclosure came as McDonald's begins rolling out packaging in the United States containing facts about menu items' nutritional content -- a move made voluntarily but with the fast-food industry under pressure from consumer groups and the government to provide more information.

    China is a key growth area for the company, which already operates more than 740 stores here and plans to open hundreds more.

    On Monday the fast food giant admitted that wheat and dairy ingredients are used to flavor the popular menu item -- an acknowledgment it had not previously made. The presence of those substances can cause allergic or other medical reactions in food-sensitive consumers.