California has just taken another step towards passing a bill that would ban "the use of oils, margarine and shortening containing trans fats" from all restaurants and other food-serving businesses by 2009. As in the similar New York law, food not made on-site that is served in its original packaging (and therefore indicating the presence of trans fats) is exempt, as are meat and dairy products. California is the first state taking action against trans fats in continuing to pursue this legislation, which has almost reached the state Assembly. New York and Philadelphia, although both have ordinances, are small potatoes compared to the whole of the Golden State.
Predictably, representatives from the California Restaurant Association and the Grocery Manufacturers and Food Products Association say that the change will be detrimental to restaurateurs and will "lead to shortages of oils free of trans fats and force owners of small restaurants to pay higher prices for cooking oil." This has not, as yet, happened in other places with such ordinances and, because the change is to be a gradual one, there is more than enough time for producers to work out sources for trans-free products and for manufacturers of those products to increase their output. Other critics say that this is turning California into a nanny state, while those in favor of the ban say it is simply good sense to prohibit something so unhealthy.
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