According to Starbucks spokesman Brandon Borrman, the company had been attempting to eliminate hydrogenated oils from its foods for more than two years.
”This is just something we have been working on, and our focus has always been on providing our customers with healthy and nutritious food options," Borrman said.
The trans fat ban applies to the items offered on Starbucks' food menu, including doughnuts, muffins and other baked goods. Research has shown that trans fats -- listed on Starbucks' ingredients labels as partially hydrogenated vegetable oil -- clog arteries and can trigger heart attack and stroke, as well as raise levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol.
As of Jan. 3, standalone Starbucks stores in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and Portland, Ore., will offer trans-fat-free food items, Borrman said.
Starbucks said in the next few years it would be working to persuade the other half of its U.S. stores to follow suit in its trans fat ban. The company licenses thousands of Starbucks sites -- such as those in kiosks or grocery stores -- but does not own them, and must persuade the operating companies to ban hydrogenated oils, according to Borrman.
The company also announced it had already replaced hydrogenated oils in its nationally distributed foods -- such as seasonal gingerbread and pumpkin muffins -- with healthier oils.
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