Cholesterol

Milk chocolate contains about 36 percent, mixed with whole milk and sugar that jack up the fat and calories, she said.

Candymakers have put out new products with higher levels of cocoa, touting a health benefit.Some of the fat in cocoa butter is unsaturated and relatively healthy for the heart, but some is saturated and riskier, she said.

Chocolate made with vegetable oil would be about the same, she said."People shouldn't really worry about what type of fatty acid they are getting," Rarback said.

"I would rather have them be concerned with how many fruits and vegetables they had."Amid it all, Fort Lauderdale postal employee Jill Schmader, who was buying caramel apples Friday at Kilwin's, shrugged at the great chocolate debate."If I like the flavor, I don't care too much what it's made of," Schmader said.

Bob LaMendola can be reached at blamendola@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4526 or 561-243-6600, ext.

4526.

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important; } COLUMNISTS Ralph De La Cruz Lifestyle Col...

and Burger King Holdings Inc.

have also said they will phase out trans fat from their products.

KFC said the change in cooking oils will not change how its fried chicken tastes.

"We have safeguarded the recipe and the flavor profile," said Doug Hasselo, KFC's chief food innovation officer.

Hasselo said the new cooking oil costs more, but the chain will absorb the extra expense without passing it along to customers.

The zero grams trans fat items at KFC also include its potato wedges.

Some of KFC's non-fried items still contain trans fat, including biscuits, pot pies, macaroni and cheese, and some desserts.

The company said it's working to remove trans fat from those items.

KFC was unveiling television advertising today to promote its switch to cooking oil without trans fat.

KFC stores will put up signs touting the conversion, and the chicken buckets will carry the health message within a week or two.

The company won praise from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer group that pushed for KFC to switch to a healthier cooking oil.

"To get rid of this one major problem improves their customers' health automatically, without the consumers doing anything," said Michael Jacobson, the group's executive director.

Customers at a KFC restaurant in the chain's hometown said they appreciated the change.

Steve Garber, part of a rec...

Edwards has long said he wants to repeal the tax cuts on upper-income earners enacted during the Bush presidency, but Sunday he seemed to go further, by saying he was open to raising them higher than they were before George W.

Bush took office.

He also said he would consider taxes on "excess profits," including those made by oil companies.

Edwards said it was more important to level with voters than to worry about the political consequences of advocating higher taxes.

"It's just the truth," Edwards said at a news conference after his speech to the California Democratic Party convention.

"It's the only way to fund the things that need to be done." Edwards said his plan to provide universal health coverage would cost $90 billion to $120 billion a year.

Dixon, Ill.

Ex-Boy Scout official charged in sexual assaults on teen A former regional Boy Scout official has been charged with sexually assaulting a 16-year-old Scout at least four times since July.

Charles Bickerstaff, 56, of Dixon, was charged with four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and four counts of criminal sexual assault, Lee County Correctional Officer Larry Schremp said Sunday.

Bail was set at $2.5 million, and Bickerstaff remained in...