McDonald’s Korea said Thursday it has replaced all the oil used in cooking its food with sunflower oil, a first in the quick service restaurant industry.

The burger chain said it introduced sunflower oil to all of its burger outlets, as it is a healthier ingredient that is lower in trans fats than the vegetable oils the company was using before. The move comes as part of the plan the company announced earlier this month to promote sustainable growth for society and the environment.

Sunflower oil has also been chosen because it is an ingredient that is relatively eco-friendly in terms of deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions, the company added.

“We introduced premium sunflower oil to protect the environment and to provide customers with higher quality food,” a McDonald’s official said.

“We will continue to make big and small changes to present tastier and higher quality menu items, and to protect our Earth.”

By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com)