NYC bans trans fats in restaurants

NEW YORK  The city's decision to ban trans fats from restaurant fare may change how food is prepared at eateries — from fast to fine dining — around the nation.

New York became the first U.S. city to remove from menus the artificial, artery-clogging fats used in many fried and processed foods.

ON THE WEB: Read the Board of Health's statement

The board of health voted unanimously Tuesday to bar the use of trans-fat-laden oils, shortenings and spreads, like margarine, starting July 1. Bakeries and restaurants will have an extra year — until July 1, 2008 — to replace trans fats in baked goods and deep-fried desserts as it may take more time to find substitutes that achieve the same texture, says health commissioner Thomas Frieden.

"We know trans fats increase the chance for heart attack, stroke and death, and they don't have to be there," Frieden says. The rules are "going to make New Yorkers live longer and healthier lives," he says.

The board also voted to require restaurants that provide calorie information to post it on menus and menu boards, where customers can see it before they order.

"These are two landmark public health policies," says Margo Wootan of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington, D.C.-based consumer group. Cities and states "are going to look at what New York City has done and follow suit," she says.

Other cities taking a hard look at restaurant foods include Seattle, Philadelphia, Washington and Boston, Wootan says. The nation's capital and Philadelphia are considering calorie-listing rules similar to New York's, she says.

Walter Willett of the Harvard School of Public Health agrees. "New York is a leader, and many other cities are sure to follow."

To enforce the ban, with fines starting at $200, inspectors will check ingredients on labels rather than testing food, Frieden says.

Restaurateurs are not happy. "I expect this opens the door to caffeine, sugar, salt, alcohol, whole milk and any other ingredients these lunatics want to attack," says Rick Berman of the Center for Consumer Freedom, a group financed by the restaurant and food industry.

Dan Fleshler of the National Restaurant Association says his organization will consider taking the city to court. But Frieden says, "We're quite certain we'd be able to withstand any legal challenge."

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