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New York City bans trans fats, Chicago may be next |
12.08.2006
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NEW YORK--The board of health here unanimously approved a ban on artificial trans fats here Tuesday, becoming the first U.S. city to do so. Several other U.S. cities are considering similar legislation.
Here, restaurants and bakeries have 18 months to replace the artificial trans fats, or hydrogenated oils and shortenings, in their products. Artificial trans fats raise the risk of heart disease by raising bad cholesterol while lowering good cholesterol and are commonly used in fast foods, baked goods, shelf-stable foods and processed foods.
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The trans fat debate coincides with America's high obesity rates. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 64 percent of all Americans are overweight, including more than 30 percent considered obese. Poor diet is one of the leading preventable cause of death among Americans, contributing to an estimated 400,000 deaths in 2000, according to the Health and Human Services' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But not everyone thinks a tran fat ban is a good idea. "Today's decision by the board of health shows an ignorance of the challenges New York's 24,000 restaurants will face in trying to eliminate trans fat and may well take a step backward for public health," according to the Washington-based National Restaurant Association. While restaurants are already making efforts to move away from the artery clogging trans fats, this ban and timetable will force many restaurants to use to oils high in saturated fats, according to the NRA. The association also said the ban raises legal questions about the authority of a municipal agency to outlaw a product the FDA has already approved.
In Chicago, Alderman Edward Burke narrowed his proposal to ban trans fats at restaurant chains with at least $20 million in annual gross sales, and to phase out trans fats over two years, reported the Chicago Sun Times. His latest draft adds a requirement that chains put warning labels on wrappers and packages of food cooked in trans fats, or post warning signs in their restaurants. Boston and Seattle are considering similar bans, reported USA Today.
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