The Associated Press
Thursday, February 1, 2007; 12:51 PM

BETHESDA, Md. -- Marriott International Inc. said Thursday it will eliminate trans fats from the cooking oil used by its restaurants at more than 2,300 hotels in the United States and Canada.

The world's largest hotel company by revenue said it will no longer use partially hydrogenated oils across all its brands, which include Marriott, Courtyard, Residence Inn and Fairfield Inn. Marriott has already cut the oils from breads, salad dressings, cookies, muffins and other pastries.

Separately on Thursday, Omni Hotels also said it will cut trans fat by March 1.

The two hotel operators join a growing number of fast-food chains to drop the artery-clogging substance.

McDonald's Corp. announced Monday it has selected a new trans-fat free oil for cooking, but did not say when the oil would be introduced in restaurants. Burger King Holdings Inc. said Wednesday it has begun testing oils without trans fats with plans for a national rollout by late next year.

Among other fast-food chains, Wendy's International Inc. introduced a zero-trans fat oil in August, and Yum Brands Inc.'s KFC and Taco Bell say they will cut trans fats from many of their foods. Starbucks Corp. recently said it was halfway through a plan to purge trans fat from its U.S. menu.

New York City has set a July 1 deadline for food providers to begin complying with an ordinance passed making it the first U.S. city to ban all restaurants from using artificial trans fats.

Florida is one of at least 11 states that have proposed bills in 2007 to ban or restrict the use of trans fats in restaurants or school cafeterias, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Other cities, such as Los Angeles, are also considering a ban on trans fats.

The Food and Drug Administration has required since January 2006 that trans-fat content be listed on all packaged foods.