More than a month after the deadline for city restaurants to stop preparing food with artificial trans fat, some fast-food chains are still serving French fries with high amounts of it, a nutrition advocacy group said yesterday.
According to the group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, one large portion of Wendy's French fries contains nearly twice the recommended daily limit of the fat, and four limes more than the company claims.
Burger King French fries also have a high trans fat content, according to a study the group released yester- day, but McDonald' s fries were found to have far less.
"That proves that other restaurants could do the same," said Michael Jacobson, executive director of the advocacy center. "It is not that restaurant French fries could not be made without trans fat."
Dr. Jacobson's group tested French fries bought at five Manhattan locations of each of the three restaurant chains over several days in July.
One large serving of French fries from Wendy's was found to contain an average of 3.7 grams of trans fat. Burger King's fries had 3.3 grams, and the McDonald's fries, 0.2 grams.
All three of these levels represent improvements, Dr. Jacobson said, but added that Wendy's and Burger King could go further still. Technically, the French fries served by fast-food restaurants are not subject to the rule because they arrive at the restaurants partly cooked.
"We can't control that product," said Denny Lynch, senior vice president of Wendy's International. "We buy the product that way."
The dry health department has said that no amount of trans fat is part of a healthful diet. The American Heart Association recommends that people consume less than 2 grams of it each day. Although it occurs naturally in dairy and meat, the most dangerous form. comes from a synthetic process of adding hydrogen to oil, which increases its density and makes it last longer.
Trans fat has been found to increase bad cholesterol, which can lead to heart disease, and lower the kind of cholesterol that helps protect the heart. It can also contribute to diabetes, Dr. Jacobson said.
Wendy's Web site claims that its large fries have a mere gram of trans fat, thanks to a change in cooking oil last summer. Mr. Lynch said he trusted his company's numbers over the center's, noting that Wendy's had tested hundreds of samples. "Ask a scientist if a sample of five is better than a sample of hundreds," he said, dismissing Dr. Jacobson' s group as "the food nannies."
He explained the discrepancy in trans fat content by pointing out that sometimes servers gave out extra fries with an order. He said another possibility was that some of the trans fat on the French fries from the supplier could accumulate in the frying oil at the restaurant.
Dr. Jacobson dismissed those explanations as "hand-waving."
"Three and a half grams is outrageous," he said, "and Wendy's shouldn't be blaming a clerk who might be giving you a few extra French fries."
Customers who were told that Wendy's fries had a high trans fat content were undeterred.
"I'm not surprised," said Tasha Dunn of the Bronx, who was waiting for a takeout order yesterday at a Wendy's at 48th Street and Avenue of the Americas. "Without trans fat, it would taste different."
Of course, it' s not healthful food that people are seeking when they order a burger and fries. "It' s just a craving that I have once in a while," said Angie Cureno, 36, who was eating fries at a McDonald' s on Seventh Avenue with her sister and daughter. She did not seem impressed that McDonald' s had outperformed its competitors in the trans fat tests.
"It's all junk food," she said.
According to Michael Jacobson, executive director of the advocacy center, the explanat

A. a nonverbal sign of greeting
B. their friendly gesture towards healthy eating
C. a nonverbal sign of farewell
D. an attempt to get past the blame