For those of us who just can't seem to start off the day without a large coffee and tasty doughnut from Starbucks Corp (NASDAQ: SBUX) we will be served up with healthier treats starting Wednesday. About half of the company's coffeehouses in America will stop using trans fats in their doughnuts, muffins and other treats tomorrow.The company has been looking at ways to eliminate the harmful trans fats from its menu for a couple of years now and plans on ultimately getting rid of fats nationwide. The announcement comes a month after New York became the first city in the nation to ban trans fats from its restaurants. Trans fats are considered dangerous due to their negative effect on cholesterol levels.
While consumers nationwide might appreciate seeing these positive changes made in their local stores, it is going to take some time for the company to completely wipe out the fats from its menus. According to the company, it is in the process of working with regional bakers and food suppliers to change their recipes to accommodate for the elimination of the fats.
Stores in the following states will be trans fat free starting tomorrow: Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Portland, Oregon. (note: these changes are effective only in stand-alone stores, and not applicable to places such as airport kiosks and grocery stores which are operated by other companies)
Michael Fowlkes has worked as a stock trader for seven years and spent the last two years working as an analyst for the online investment advisory service Investor'sObserver.
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