Sacramento, California (WiredPRNews.com) — California is the first state in the U.S. to ban the use of trans fats in chain restaurants as these fats are connected to coronary heart disease.

The Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has asserted that the new legislation will take effect in 2010 and will represent a concrete step in the direction of creating a healthy future.

It has also been ruled that violators of the new legislation will be charged with a fine. This is owing to the fact that trans-fats are chemically tainted vegetable oils used to give processed foods a greater shelf life. In several other U.S. cities such as in Philadelphia and Seattle, the use of trans-fats in restaurants has already been banned. As a result, many restaurant chains and food makers have started experimenting with the replacement of oils and the food products which contain them.

Since trans-fats are produced artificially through a process known as hydrogenation meant to turn liquid oil into solid fats, these oils are bad for health and are closely associated with coronary heart disease. They are put to use in baking or frying, and added to processed foods including ready made mixtures used for drinks and cakes. Trans-fats are mainly used in food since they are cheap, can add mass to food products, possess a neutral taste and provide food products a longer shelf-life. Trans-fats are said to have no dietary value and so the new legislation banning its use has brought out remarkable benefits to the general health of the public.

A review said that the elimination of trans-fats from food products could prevent approximately nineteen percent of heart attack risks and deaths related to it every year.