McDonald's joins crusade against trans-fat

McDonald's Corp. (NYSE:MCD) has gotten on the bandwagon against trans-fats.

The company told the Associated Press that its using a trans-fat free oil at more than 1,200 U.S. restaurant. McDonald's wouldn't provide any further details, which makes me think that fries cooked in the new oil don't taste as yummy as the current artery-clogging stuff though the company claims otherwise.

Ronald McDonald's parent got in hot water with public health advocates in 2002 for backing away from its pledge to create a new cooking oil, citing concerns about the taste of its fries.

Restaurants are under the gun because of trans-fats. New York City is banning artificial trans-fats effective July 1. Other cities, including Philadelphia are probably going to follow. Plus, Yum! Brands Inc. (NYSE:YUM) has already gotten positive press for phasing out the bad oil at KFC and Taco Bell.

Now that the food police are winning this fight, you can bet that portion sizes will be next on their agenda. Look for warning labels on the double Quarter Pounder. Then McDonald's will have to certify that that its beef, chicken and produce came from organic farms. Finally, federal authorities will demand that anti-cholesterol drugs be added to the ketchup.

I am not against nutrition, but I do worry that we are becoming a nanny state. Where does it stop?