(Slightly) Healthier Donuts

Dunkin' Donuts is going to eliminate trans fats from its menu -- including donuts -- by October 15. Actually, the items will have 0.5 grams of trans fat, which can legally be rounded down to zero. New York City, which loves its Dunkin Donuts, passed a law in December 2006 that limits trans fats to 0.5 grams per serving for any menu item.
 

What effect(s) will this have? Improve the chain's image? Help protect it from consumer lawsuits (even though lawsuits aimed at McDonalds have failed)? I don't think this will improve Dunkin' Donuts' image much if at all. The move is part of a larger shift away from trans fats across the country, a change that would have come sooner or later. But for a chain like this -- let's face it, it's known for coffee and fried-and-sugary dough -- to voluntarily make the change could give it a short-lived competitive advantage. Since the change was going to come eventually, why not get what little first-mover advantage exists?

FYI, a Dunkin' Donuts jelly filled donut currently has four grams of trans fat, eight grams of total fat, 14 grams of sugar and 210 calories.