New York City Wants to Limit Trans Fats

Sept. 26, 2006 — -- New York City has taken a bold step in the fight against obesity and heart disease. Today the New York City Department of Health announced a proposal to limit all trans fats from New York restaurants. A public hearing is scheduled for Oct. 30.

It also announced that all restaurants that list nutritional information must include calories.

Trans fats are found in many types of cooking oils used in the preparation of doughnuts, french fries and pastries. The Food and Drug Administration has required that food labels list trans fats since Jan. 1, 2006. Trans fats include margarine, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, partially hydrogenated vegetable shortening and shortening.

New York had already instituted a voluntary limit on trans fats, but 30 to 60 percent of restaurants in the city refused to make the switch.

New York is the first city to make the limit citywide, but Chicago is also considering the measure. The only other large limit is in North Carolina, where trans fats have been limited from all school foods.

Trans fats have been linked to elevated cholesterol and to an increased risk of heart disease.

"This is an extremely important step for public health," said Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "If implemented nationwide, a limit on partially hydrogenated fats -- trans fats -- could save an estimated 50,000 lives a year."

Though experts generally support the proposal, not all believe the impact will be so large, and some worry that we may be trading one evil for another.

"We must treat this proposal with a tremendous amount of caution," said Alice Lichtenstein, professor of science and policy at Tufts University. "I am very concerned that trans fats will just be replaced by saturated fats.

Saturated fats are found in animal products, including meat and dairy products, and raise almost the same health concerns as trans fats.