[Amy SF]

Quote:

New York to outlaw trans fats in 24,000 restaurants

Ed Pilkington in New York

Thursday September 28, 2006

The Guardian

New York is set to become the first city in the US to ban all but tiny quantities of trans fats from being used in its 24,000 restaurants. According to plans agreed this week by the board of health, under the mayor, Michael Bloomberg, all the city's restaurants, cafes and street stalls will be forced to keep to a limit of half a gram of trans fats in any item served from their menus. The move will see a sharp drop in use of the treated fats. One serving of chips contains up to eight grams.

Trans fats have been the subject of mounting concern among health experts who warn that the fats could contribute to heart disease by raising blood cholesterol levels. In a process known as hydrogenation the fats are formed by subjecting oils to high temperatures, which stabilises and solidifies them and makes them last longer. They are used in the baking of cakes, doughnuts and bread, and for deep frying.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/food/Story/0,,1882606,00.html

It will be interesting to see if the city is able to enforce this new ban.

 

[anatta]

Am I the only one who thins this smells like Big Brother?

 

[compassionate1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by anatta

Am I the only one who thins this smells like Big Brother?

Probably not.

But, if there were arsenic being used in food, I doubt anyone would think it Orwellian for the city to get it removed.....

I know of no one who is pro-hydrogenated fats......

 

[eggplant]

The problem with enforcing this is that many, if not most restaurants get some of their food from outside distributers.

Still, I think it's a move in the right direction. We know that trans-fats contribute to disease, so why should they be allowed in our food? It would be Orwellian if we passed a law that said people weren't allowed to eat donuts. But it's simply common sense to pass a law that says restaurants aren't allowed to sell poisonous donuts.

Of course I think this should start with the FDA banning trans-fats in general, just as they've banned other disease-causing food additives in the past, but maybe NY's new law is just the first step in that eventually happening.

 

[remilard]

Quote:

Originally Posted by anatta

Am I the only one who thins this smells like Big Brother?

Given that you didn't take time to post this in the thread about Chicago banning Foi Gras, I am guessing that it doesn't smell that bad.

 

[Rotting]

It's my moms job to tell me what foods I should look for, or avoid, not the govenrments. Shame on NYC.

 

[Scythe]

Must be all the pollution in the air... the lawmakers in NYC are high or dying or something.