Those pound cakes,  scones, cookies, crumb bars and gooey cinnamon rolls fans think are to die for at Starbucks will probably still be that way, except for one major difference.

The omnipresent coffee-shop chain says it's cutting trans fat from all doughnuts, muffins and other treats in half of its 6,000 American stores and eventually in all company-operated coffeehouses.

By Wednesday, Jan. 6, Starbucks' stores in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, New York, Portland, Ore., San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C., will be trans-free, spokesman Brandon Borrman told the Associated Press.

Company officials will work with regional bakers and food suppliers to rid the rest of the chain's outlets of trans fat by July 2008. Borrman said. Starbucks has already replaced the trans fat in some of its nationally distributed products, such as seasonal pumpkin muffins and gingerbread.

In New York City, Starbucks beat the city to the punch by eliminating trans fat before the city's ban on the substance in all restaurants took effect. The announcement comes after the Seattle-based company finishing a two-year project to eliminate trans fat from its menu.

Trans fat is created when manufacturers inject hydrogen into vegetable oil to give it more shelf life and gives products a certain taste. But health experts condemn "partially hydrogenated oil" and its trans-fat byproduct may clog your arteries and ultimately lead to heart attacks, strokes and other maladies.

But the trans-fat ban doesn't mean everything on a Starbucks' menu will magically turn 100 percent healthy. Those same products may be free of trans fat, but they'll still be loaded with saturated fat, cholesterol and other ingredients that make nutritionists blanch, according to a typical Starbuck's nutritional profile on the company's website.

More bans in 2007

Meanwhile, a consumer watchdog group that has pushed the trans-fat ban says 2007 will be the year that a growing number of restaurants replace partially hydrogentated oils with healthier alternatives.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, D.C., still accused major restaurant chains of "lagging far behind" food manufacturers in getting rid of trans fat.

"When trans fat labeling went into effect in the supermarket, large food manufacturers competed against each other to see who could get rid of artificial trans fat the fastest," said Michael Jacobson, the center's executive director. "But restaurants didn't have labeling as an incentive to change, so they've needed other incentives: a lawsuit here, a municipal phase-out proposal there."

Beginning last January, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration began requiring manufacturers to list the trans fat on product packages if the amount was over .05 grams.

From Arby's to Ruby's

Despite the center's criticism of the restaurant industry, Jacobson mentioned in the statement that Wendy's, KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Subway and Domino's Pizza have either eliminated trans fat or will sometime this year.

Other large restaurant chains that have switched or are switching include Arbys, Chili's, Denny's, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Ruby Tuesday and Romano's Macaroni Grill. Other venues, including Disney theme parks, Loew's hotels and numerous local restaurants and small chains are eliminating trans fat, he added. 

Proposed bans by state and local officials are being touted in Chicago, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Philadelphia, while leaders in Boston, Cambridge, Mass., Cleveland, Louisville, Ky., and Los Angeles have expressed interest in similar regulations.

But, "two of the biggest chains, dozens of medium-sized chains and thousands of other food-service establishments show no sign of switching," center officials said in the statement, calling out specifically McDonald's and Burger King.

After several years of testing, McDonald's now has a large test of a healthier oil in several locations in the United States, but switched already to canola or other trans-free oils in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Burger King produces trans-free fries only in Denmark, but is testing new oils in the United States.

Source: Associated Press, Center for Science in the Public Interest

 Nubella News, a division of Marketing Technology Solutions, Inc., encourages all site visitors and readers interested in understanding the material contained within this article at a more detailed level, to perform additional research and investigation into the article topics, references, and any links provided within the material. Nubella News does not intend to offer medical advice. We recommend that all readers ask their doctor or medical professional for additional advice, guidance, and/or recommendations pertaining to this article.