Starbucks Coffee Company announced on Monday that it will eliminate the use of artificial trans fats in food and beverages in all stores by the end of 2007.

"No longer using artificial trans fats in products sold in our stores allows us to take out ingredients like partially hydrogenated oils that have no health benefit, while retaining high quality and great tasting natural ingredients," said Denny Marie Post, senior vice president of Starbucks' Global Food and Beverage.

As part of their work on trans fats, Starbucks has reached out to several recognized health and nutrition experts to get their opinions and thoughts on the best approach to take toward this important health issue.

"This is a great idea because the scientific evidence indicates that industrial trans fats are more harmful than any other type of fat and can be removed from foods -- it's a win-win situation," said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology at Harvard Medical School.