New York City passes trans fat ban
The Board of Health voted Tuesday to make New York the nation’s first city to ban artery-clogging artificial trans fats at restaurants — from the corner pizzeria to high-end bakeries. The board, which passed the ban unanimously, did give restaurants a slight break by relaxing what had been considered a tight deadline for compliance. Restaurants will be barred from using most frying oils containing artificial trans fats by July and will have to eliminate the artificial trans fats from all of their foods by July 2008. This sounds like it is a good idea because if restaurants can make their products without using the artificial trans fat, it should be done. Trans fats are believed to be harmful because they contribute to heart disease by raising bad cholesterol and lowering good cholesterol at the same time. The big question is whether or not this ban will have an affect on the taste on products. I guess only time will tell, but these restaurants have 8 months to try to work out all of the kinks.
