New York, NY starts war on Trans Fat

[Allan]

Ellen Barry

Thursday, December 07, 2006

The New York City Board of Health has voted unanimously to prohibit restaurateurs from cooking with artificial trans fats - setting a precedent for US public health agencies eager to take on unhealthy eating.

The city's 24,000 restaurants have six months to stop frying foods in oils that contain high levels of trans fats, which are believed to be a leading cause of heart disease. Within 18 months, they must switch to alternative ways of cooking pie crusts, doughnuts and other baked goods - or face fines for each violation.

Although various local and state lawmakers have floated the idea of forcing trans fats from US diets, New York's approach has been notably muscular, driven by an activist health commissioner, Thomas Frieden. City health officials say they tried to persuade restaurateurs to abandon the products voluntarily, but the effort failed.

"There is nothing like a deadline to focus the mind," Frieden said at a news conference after the vote. Answering critics, he said the health board was not telling people what to eat.

"All of the food items will be available - they just won't have an artificial chemical in them that would increase your chance of heart attack, stroke or death," he said.

New York's ban marks a turning point for products that were introduced into the US diet in the early 1900s. A process called "hydrogenation," solidifies liquid vegetable oil. Hydrogenated oils grew in popularity over the course of the century, and were recommended as a healthier alternative to saturated fats such as butter.

The consensus began to shift in the late 1980s, when researchers found that trans fats lower the amount of HDL, or "good" blood cholesterol, and increase LDL, or "bad" cholesterol.

Restaurant industry representatives said they were deeply disappointed at the outcome.

Chuck Hunt, the executive vice president of the New York State Restaurant Association, said the health department made only a token effort to educate business owners about trans fats in the first place. The ban could force owners to raise prices or go out of business, Hunt said, and they hope to fight the ban through legislative or legal channels.

Sue Hensley, a spokeswoman for the National Restaurant Association, said the speed of the shift may force some restaurants to opt for oils high in saturated fat, which also poses health risks.

Frieden, who has been commissioner since 2001, has focused particular attention on eating habits. His department partnered with bodega owners to encourage citizens to drink low-fat milk, and has urged mothers to breast-feed as a guard against childhood obesity.

LOS ANGELES TIMES

Source: The Standard

[tuckeratlarge]

am I right in thinking in America there is a cooking oil which isn't absorbed by the body? I thought it was used in cooking crisps (Chips dear people from the US and A) and things. I remember a news item on it and was disappointed that the UK government hadn't allowed it to be used here.

or am I talking crap?

[Fred Derf Veteran]

Toronto is going to ban trans-fat and base their legislation on NYC. Good for Toronto and thank you to NYC for leading the way.

City ponders trans fats ban

Not content to wait for federal action, board of health plans move on dough, batter in restaurants and food services

Apr 17, 2007 04:30 AM

Donovan Vincent

City Hall Bureau

Toronto restaurants could soon face a ban on trans fats similar to one in New York City.

Toronto's board of health yesterday asked the city's medical officer of health, Dr. David McKeown, to report back by September on approaches the city could take to phase out trans fats in all restaurants and food establishments.

If Ottawa doesn't act quickly enough to bring in federal limits on trans fats, Toronto could start moving on its own local restrictions by next January, health board member and City Councillor Gord Perks said in an interview after the meeting.

"It wouldn't be an exact match of New York, but the basic idea would be the same,'' he added.

In New York, beginning July 1, oils, shortenings and margarines with trans fatty acids, used in frying and spreads, will be banned in restaurants. Trans fats in other foods used in baking, in deep-frying yeast dough, and cake batters will be gone within 18 months.

McKeown said that before he could recommend similar steps here, he wants to meet with federal Health Minister Tony Clement to see how Ottawa plans to respond to last summer's federal task force report, which called for limits on artificial trans fats in foods.

The report recommended limiting trans fats in vegetable oils and margarines to no more than 2 per cent of total fat, and no more than 5 per cent total fat in other foods.

The task force report calls for limits that would cover all foods Canadians consume, from the raw food stage to the finished product. It suggested the new rules take effect in June 2008, with a one-year phase-in period.

So far Ottawa has not responded to the recommendations.

For now, McKeown is calling on local restaurants and food services outlets to voluntarily reduce their use of trans fats. He told the board yesterday he believes federal limits for trans fats are better than local restrictions because the former would have a wider scope.

But Perks argued restrictions set at the local level are "more responsive.'' Given it's unclear if Ottawa will act, he said, "when you allow for local leadership, you get regulation that's responsive and stronger."

The board also adopted related measures, including one calling for trans fats to be eliminated from menus in city-owned child-care centres.

All the proposals must still be approved by city council.

Trans fats are formed when unsaturated fat is processed, or hydrogenated. These fats are found in things like baked goods and fried food from fast-food outlets.

They are used to give foods longer shelf life and make them tastier, but are believed responsible for tens of thousands of heart attacks each year.

Joyce Reynolds, vice-president of the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association, said recently that her group supports the federal task force recommendations.

Meanwhile, a plan to have more ethnically diverse "street food'' available in Toronto was supported by the health board yesterday.

Current provincial rules governing street food vending essentially limit it to wieners or sausages served on a bun.

"This city is trying to be world class, but on this subject we are so ghetto,'' Guy Rubino, executive chef at the restaurant Rain, told the health board.

Councillor and board of health chair John Filion, who is leading the call for more choices, says he wants the provincial rules changed in a manner that doesn't compromise food safety.

In the meantime, he's planning a summer event that would showcase the variety of street foods that could be available.

Filion said local licensing and permit issues will also need to be explored, especially given that the city now has a freeze on new street food vendors.

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/203799

[L3thal Veteran]

Amen!