Burger King sued over trans fats

Washington -- A U.S. health-advocacy group sued Burger King Wednesday, alleging it has knowingly increased customers' risk of heart disease with its use of trans fats.

Medical research has connected trans fat consumption with an elevated risk of heart disease.

The lawsuit, filed in Washington Superior Court by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, says Burger King is the biggest restaurant chain not fully committed to getting rid of trans fats.

Burger King Holdings Inc. of Miami said in January it would likely begin converting to trans fat-free cooking oils in late 2008.

The lawsuit asks the court to order the restaurant chain to stop using trans fats -- or at least require prominent warning notices on Burger King's menu boards.

Burger King competitor McDonald's Corp. said this year it had begun using trans fat-free oil in some cities and would convert all U.S. restaurants by the end of 2008. Wendy's International Inc. has used cooking oil with no trans fats since 2006.

Burger King Holdings said in response it was testing a cooking-oil blend and would try to convert its 7,600 U.S. and Canadian restaurants to trans fat-free oil sooner than it originally projected.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International.