NYC bans trans fat

by Jonathon Morgan (Subscribe to Jonathon Morgan's posts)
Dec 6th 2006 10:04AM

New York is now the nation's first city to ban trans fats -- the artery-clogging, unsaturated fats that pose a serious risk to your coronary health.

The National Restaurant Association might not be happy, but Mayor Michael Bloomberg (who famously banned smoking in NYC restaurants and bars during his first term in office) is standing his ground. "Nobody wants to take away your french fries and hamburgers - I love those things, too," says Bloomberg. "But if you can make them with something that is less damaging to your health, we should do that."

For most restaurants, this means a simple change in ingredients, but for large chains, this could potentially disrupt nationwide supply operations -- with everyone scrambling to assure customers that their product tastes the same, trans fats or not.

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Comments (3)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Martin Irving 12-06-2006 @ 11:08AM

I think this is a fine idea. Here we have a substance that might well be the most significant indicator of many health problems from obesity and diabetes to early and sudden death. Apparently it's negative effects are quite measurable. The fact the food industry has been able to get away for so long without disclosing it's existence is extraordinary, but typical. As a very cheap ingredient that contributes to shelf life it helps the food industry with profit making. Because of this, you can expect plenty of resistance and denial about the dangers of trans fat. Oh what a dilemma! Because of it's economic benefits the industry is totally reliant on it and it will be difficult for them to make a transition. Just because a change is difficult doesn't mean that we shouldn't bother. The sooner the change is implemented the better.

So the price of a hamburger might go up? Then less people might eat out at fast food establishments? Industry profits might go down? If fast food became more expensive then people would be less inclined to eat out and more likely to eat healthily. Maybe. It is partly high consumption that keeps prices low. That, and cheap and nasty ingredients. Now there is some food for thought.

no more smoke 12-06-2006 @ 12:18PM

What I would like to see happen NEXT... is the banning of smoking within 20 feet of an entrance to a building... I am supersensitive to smoke (due to asthma) and I have to walk through a cloud a smokers; the other night, it was a cloud of cigar smokers and I nearly passed out... my lovely clothes (Christmas party) REEKED terribly, the hour drive home.... I was so sickened by it, I nearly loss my fancy dinner... but had to suffer from a sick stomach, all the same... holding my nose and running past them (in heels) didn't stop me from being saturated... and this was a very fancy restaurant (Florida banned smoking inside a few years ago and no restaurants have suffered any loss of business!)...

Rob 12-07-2006 @ 6:05PM

This is completely ridiculous. It seems NYC thinks their residents can't think for themselves. Has everyone forgotten personal responsibility? The smoking ban was one thing, but there's no such thing as second-hand fat. I'm not affected if I'm having a nice healthy salad while sitting next to someone eating a burger and fries. Forcing all those restaurants to comply with a trans-fat ban is going to be a nightmare.

Bloomberg is basically saying, "People are idiots. The NYC government needs to think for them."

While he's at it, why doesn't he legislate portion control??