Heart Foundation welcomes KFC’s switch from palm to canola oil

The National Heart Foundation has welcomed the news that fast food company KFC has decided to use canola oil in place of palm oil, saying it’s a step in the right direction.

CEO of the Heart Foundation Dr Lyn Roberts encouraged other fast food outlets to follow suit. “Canola oil contains around 85% less saturated fat than palm oil, so replacing it is likely to make a significant improvement to the health of fast food consumers,” said Dr Roberts.

“Saturated fat is the type of fat that clogs our arteries and raises our blood cholesterol levels. We need to reduce the amount of unhealthy saturated fat in our diet and replace it with healthier fats.

“Australians are consuming twice the amount of saturated fat they should be, and every 24 minutes an Australian dies from heart disease,” she said.

While the Heart Foundation is pleased with the move away from palm oil, it says food quality in fast food outlets has a long way to go, starting with reducing salt levels.

“Australians eat far too much salt, which can lead to high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol and increase their risk of heart attack and stroke,” she said.

“We’re calling for fast food outlets to review the level of salt in their foods and commit to reformulating their products into healthier options for Australians.”