Shari's Restaurants, a Beaverton-based chain of 24-hour eateries, says it is ditching trans fats. It is opting for a trans fat-free soybean cooking oil at all its locations.

The restaurant is one of a number nationwide to cut down on trans-fatty acids, which have been linked to higher levels of "bad" cholesterol levels and increased risk of coronary disease.

In 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration began requiring trans fats be stated on food labels. That prompted other food providers to reconsider their use of trans fats as well.

Multnomah County briefly considered a ban on trans fats in Portland restaurants.

Shari's uses about 800,000 pounds of cooking oil for frying annually. Shari's officials say the chain would absorb the higher costs.