AS NYC CHANGES, IS L.A.'S TRANS FAT IN THE FIRE?Byline: KERRY CAVANAUGH Staff Writer New Yorkers soon will be saying goodbye to those greasy french fries, artery-clogging doughnuts and fast-food chimichangas. And could Los Angeles be next? Starting next year, New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. restaurants will have to prepare their fried foods and baked goods with more healthful health·ful adj. 1. Conducive to good health; salutary. 2. Healthy. health  ful·ness n. oils and fats after the New York City Board of Health voted Tuesday to ban artificial trans fats in city restaurants. The decision essentially outlaws an ingredient found in many commercial frying oils, margarines and shortenings. Eateries will have to replace trans fats with other oils and animal products, such as butter or lard, starting next year. On Friday, City Councilmen Jose Huizar and Tom LaBonge asked for a report on how the council could restrict trans fat in Los Angeles' restaurants. ``This is a critical public health issue. As the New York City health commissioner said, people are no longer dying of typhoid fever typhoid fever acute, generalized infection caused by Salmonella typhi. The main sources of infection are contaminated water or milk and, especially in urban communities, food handlers who are carriers. , they're dying of heart disease,'' said Amy Cooper, Huizar legislative director. ``We wouldn't hesitate to regulate something that is toxic, but we know trans fats are toxic.'' LaBonge equated the proposal to restrictions on smoking in restaurants and workplaces. ``I'm not going to try and regulate the world, and I don't think we should. This is a way to improve the quality of food.'' Following the lead of New York City, Chicago and New Jersey -- all of which have proposed trans fat restrictions -- the councilmen's motion asks the city legislative officer and chief administrative officer A chief administrative officer (CAO) is responsible for administrative management of private, public or governmental corporations. The CAO is one of the highest ranking members of an organization, managing daily operations and usually reporting directly to the chief executive to recommend ways to limit the use of trans fat locally. But restaurateurs are already bracing for a fight. ``The city of Los Angeles
``I think we're going to see foods cooked in saturated fats, such as butter and animal fats. Although the intentions are good, the negative unintentional consequences can far exceed what council members expect.'' Trans fat is produced when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil, which helps the oil last longer. It's widely used frying oil and in processed foods as partially hydrated hy·drat·ed adj. Chemically combined with water, especially existing in the form of a hydrate. Adj. 1. hydrated - containing combined water (especially water of crystallization as in a hydrate) hydrous oil. It's also in ingredients such as margarine and shortening that are used in many baked goods, store-bought crackers and snack foods. The New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of rule means restaurants will have to use alternatives for everything from fried chicken and pies to hamburger buns and pizza dough. Doctors and scientists widely agree that artificial trans fatsare dangerous in almost any amount. They are viewed as more unhealthy than saturated fats because they raise bad cholesterol bad cholesterol LDL-cholesterol Cardiovascular disease Cholesterol transported in the circulation by low-density lipoprotein, the elevation of which is directly related to the risk of CAD and cholesterol-related morbidity See LDL-cholesterol. Cf Good cholesterol. while lowering good cholesterol 'good' cholesterol A popular term for HDL-cholesterol, see there. Cf 'Bad' cholesterol. . ``They are far and away the biggest toxic chemical in the food supply,'' said Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard University School of Public Health. The Associated Press contributed to this story. kerry.cavanaugh@dailynews.com (213) 978-0390 |
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