Hardee’s Cuts the Fat, but Wendy’s Says It’s Too Late

Hardee’s announced a new, leaner quarter-pound hamburger, but competitors said the fast-food company is playing catch-up.

The Rocky Mount, N.C.-based company on Tuesday announced “The Lean 1,” a quarter-pound burger with an average of 18 grams of total fat, which it described as the lowest-fat burger in the business.

A spokesman for competitor Wendy’s said that firm’s quarter-pound single hamburger has 15 grams of fat, lower than any of the competitors.