ORIGINAL RESEARCH

Sodium, Saturated Fat, and Trans Fat Content Per 1,000 Kilocalories: Temporal Trends in Fast-Food Restaurants, United States, 2000–2013

Chain/Year	Large French Fries	Cheeseburger		Grilled Chicken Sandwich
		2 oz	4 oz
	Sodium, mg/1,000 kcal
Chain A
2000	648	2,594	2,472	2,156
2001	648	2,515	2,472	2,156
2002	648	2,515	2,472	2,156
2003	648	2,424	2,358	2,225
2004	654	2,394	2,296	2,550
2005	635	2,387	2,255	2,952
2006	579	2,387	2,255	2,952
2007	579	2,500	2,333	2,833
2008	700	2,500	2,333	2,833
2009	700	2,500	2,333	2,833
2010	700	2,500	2,333	2,833
2011	700	2,500	2,333	2,343
2012	700	2,267	2,115	2,343
2013	700	2,267	2,115	2,343
β	5.5	−12.3	−20.8	25.0
P Value	.05	.05	.001	.26
Chain B
2000	2,000	2,111	1,816	2,000
2001	1,880	2,027	1,782	2,018
2002	1,760	2,194	1,682	2,362
2003	1,760	2,194	1,775	2,362
2004	1,760	2,200	1,813	2,474
2005	1,760	2,200	1,813	2,472
2006	1,640	2,364	1,908	2,314
2007	1,640	2,364	1,908	2,314
2008	1,640	2,294	1,883	2,551
2009	1,707	2,265	1,883	2,490
2010	1,537	2,387	1,883	2,490
2011	1,537	2,367	1,855	2,340
2012	1,420	2,464	1,855	2,830
2013	1,420	2,464	1,746	2,647
β	−36.9	28.4	6.3	40.3
P Value	<.001	<.001	.21	.001
Chain C
2000	316	2,594	2,531	2,548
2001	319	2,581	2,458	2,467
2002	864	2,645	2,521	2,467
2003	864	2,645	2,563	2,433
2004	864	2,645	2,563	3,056
2005	980	2,563	2,490	3,056
2006	1,019	2,531	2,449	2,892
2007	1,058	2,500	2,440	2,969
2008	873	2,654	2,380	2,969
2009	926	2,593	2,333	2,857
2010	852	2,704	2,389	3,029
2011	1,075	2,481	2,309	3,083
2012	1,075	2,828	2,323	2,256
2013	1,080	2,828	2,033	2,564
β	45.7	10.3	−27.6	14.2
P Value	<.01	.15	<.001	.48
Chain comparison P value	≤.01	≤.001	<.001a	<.01b

Figure 1. Sodium content (mg/1,000 kcal) for popular menu items at 3 large, national fast-food chains, United States, 2000–2013. Sodium content for large-sized French fries, 2 sizes of cheeseburgers (2-oz and 4-oz), and 1 size of grilled chicken sandwich from chains A, B and C. β estimates and P values derived from individual simple linear regression models; chain comparison P values derived from ANOVA (analysis of variance) models comparing mean values between restaurants. ^a Difference is between Chain B versus Chains A and C. ^b Difference is between Chain B versus Chain C.

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Chain/Year	Large French Fries	Cheeseburger		Grilled Chicken Sandwich
		2 oz	4 oz
	Saturated Fat, g/1,000 kcal
Chain A
2000	8.3	18.8	24.5	6.7
2001	8.3	18.2	24.5	6.7
2002	8.3	18.2	24.5	6.7
2003	8.3	18.2	24.5	7.5
2004	8.7	18.2	24.1	7.5
2005	9.6	19.4	23.5	4.8
2006	10.5	19.4	23.5	4.8
2007	10.5	20.0	23.5	4.8
2008	7.0	20.0	23.5	4.8
2009	7.0	20.0	23.5	4.8
2010	7.0	20.0	23.5	4.8
2011	7.0	20.0	23.5	5.7
2012	7.0	20.0	23.1	5.7
2013	7.0	20.0	23.1	5.7
β	−0.2	0.2	−0.1	−0.1
P Value	.07	<.001	<.001	.04
Chain B
2000	20.3	25.0	22.4	9.4
2001	14.0	24.3	21.8	9.1
2002	14.0	22.2	35.3	8.6
2003	14.0	22.2	22.5	8.6
2004	14.0	22.9	22.5	7.9
2005	14.0	22.9	22.5	7.9
2006	12.0	21.2	21.1	6.9
2007	12.0	21.2	21.1	6.9
2008	12.0	20.6	20.8	8.2
2009	10.3	20.6	20.8	8.2
2010	11.1	22.6	20.8	8.2
2011	11.1	20.0	21.1	7.4
2012	7.0	21.4	21.1	7.5
2013	7.0	21.4	21.1	7.8
β	−0.7	−0.3	−0.4	−0.1
P Value	<.001	<.01	.14	.02
Chain C
2000	7.0	18.8	21.4	4.8
2001	7.4	19.4	21.9	5.0
2002	8.0	16.1	21.9	5.0
2003	8.0	19.4	21.9	5.0
2004	8.0	19.4	21.9	4.2
2005	8.2	18.8	21.4	4.2
2006	7.4	18.8	21.4	4.1
2007	6.7	15.6	21.0	4.7
2008	7.3	19.2	21.0	4.7
2009	9.3	18.5	21.3	4.3
2010	8.3	18.5	21.3	4.4
2011	9.4	18.5	21.8	4.2
2012	9.4	20.7	25.8	9.0
2013	9.0	20.7	21.7	3.9
β	0.2	0.1	0.1	<0.1
P Value	<.01	.26	.32	.58
Overall P value	<.001a	<.001a	NS	<.05

Figure 2. Saturated fat content (g/1,000 kcal) for popular menu items at 3 large, national fast-food chains, United States, 2000–2013. Saturated fat content for large-sized French fries, 2 sizes of cheeseburgers (2-oz and 4-oz), and 1 size of grilled chicken sandwich from chains A, B and C. β estimates and P values derived from individual simple linear regression models; chain comparison P values derived from ANOVA (analysis of variance) models comparing mean values between restaurants. Abbreviation: NS, nonsignificant. ^a Difference is between Chain B versus Chains A and C.

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Chain/Year	Large French Fries	Cheeseburger		Grilled Chicken Sandwich
		2 oz	4 oz
	Trans fat, g/1,000 kcal
Chain A
2001	—	—	—	—
2002	—	—	—	—
2003	—	—	—	—
2004	—	—	—	—
2005	11.5	3.2	2.9	0
2006	14.0	3.2	2.9	0
2007	14.0	1.7	2.9	0
2008	0	1.7	2.9	0
2009	0	1.7	2.9	0
2010	0	1.7	2.9	0
2011	0	1.7	2.9	0
2012	0	1.7	2.9	0
2013	0	1.7	2.9	0
β	−1.9	−0.2	<–0.1	NC
P Value	<.01	.03	<.01	NS
Chain B
2001	12.0	2.7	1.9	—
2002	12.8	1.9	1.8	0.9
2003	12.8	1.9	1.8	0.9
2004	12.0	1.4	1.9	0
2005	12.0	1.4	2.5	0
2006	12.0	1.5	2.0	1.0
2007	12.0	1.5	2.0	1.0
2008	12.0	1.5	1.9	0
2009	0	1.5	1.9	0
2010	0	1.6	1.9	0
2011	0	0	1.3	0
2012	0	0	1.3	0
2013	0	0	1.4	0
β	−1.3	−0.2	<−0.1	−0.1
P Value	<.001	<.001	.17	.05
Chain C
2001	—	—	—	—
2002	—	—	—	—
2003	11.4	1.6	2.1	0
2004	11.4	1.6	2.1	0
2005	12.2	1.6	2.0	0
2006	1.9	1.6	2.0	0
2007	1.9	1.6	2.0	0
2008	0	1.9	2.0	0
2009	0	1.9	1.9	0
2010	0	1.9	1.9	0
2011	0	1.9	2.7	0
2012	0	1.7	2.4	0
2013	0	1.7	2.5	0
β	−1.3	<0.1	0.1	NC
P Value	<.01	.05	.08	NS
Overall P value	NS	<.04a	≤.03	NS

Figure 3. Trans fat content (g per 1,000 kcal) for popular menu items at 3 large, national fast-food chains, United States, 2001–2013. Trans fat content for large-sized French fries, 2 sizes of cheeseburgers (2-oz and 4-oz), and 1 size of grilled chicken sandwich from chains A, B and C. β estimates and P values derived from individual simple linear regression models; chain comparison P values derived from ANOVA (analysis of variance) models comparing mean values between restaurants. Abbreviations: —, data not available; NS, nonsignificant. ^a Difference is between Chain A and Chain B.

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