NYC has become the first city in the US to ban Trans fats in restaurants. This came after much procrastination on the part of the policy makers. On one hand was solid scientific evidence that Trans fats are really bad for your cardiac health. On the other hand was the concern of being too paternalistic. 
Major restaurants like McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts had already started to phase out the Trans fats. According to Reuters:
That law, to take effect July 1, applies to restaurants that already report calorie counts and requires them to display the numbers on menus and menu boards. It is expected to affect about 10 percent of New York City’s restaurants. It was also opposed by the restaurant industry, which complained that both the trans fat and calorie reporting measures could translate into price increases for consumers. "It’s going to be grossly expensive to make these changes and there may be the possibility that some people who are currently providing the (calorie) information may choose not to do it anymore," said Charles Hunt of the New York State Restaurant Association. "Anything that happens in New York spreads and that’s why the National Restaurant Association is so concerned about this," Hunt said.
In the end however, the public is going to be the winner. There are already signs that the public has increased awareness of the ill effects of Trans fats and in general this is a welcome step. It remains to be seen whether the rest of the country follows suit or not. Needless to say the ramifications of that would go a long way.
Posted on December 6, 2006 by Site Staff
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