Ban that Trans

New York, you are doing the right thing again. By July 2008, all restaurants in New York will be barred from using Trans fat. This is another great move after the smoking ban in restaurant to improve New Yorker’s health. Thanks You Mayor Bloomberg.

New York City will be the first city in United State to ban the use of trans fat after the Board of Health pass the law. Most restaurants will have an 18 month period to replace their cooking oil. However, the law doesn’t cover pre-packaged food.

“Nobody wants to take away your French fries and hamburgers — I love those things, too,” Michael Bloomberg said recently. “But if you can make them with something that is less damaging to your health, we should do that.”

Exactly! If we can make food better by changing the way of cooking, why not?

How bad Trans fat is?

Trans fat is made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil. It is not nature oil. Trans fat can be found in every kind of food from cookie to fried chicken. Just like saturated Fat, it increases your bad cholesterol. On top of that, Trans fat decreases your good Cholesterol at the same time. Trans fats has been link with heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity.

One study found that monkey consume trans fat grew a bigger belly and developed insulin resistance compare to monkey consume other kind of oil

So why Trans fat is used in cooking?

To save cost. Trans fat is much easier to store and have a longer shelf time than other oil. Trans fat turn into solid in room temperature. One time I see a guy holding a piece of oil with size of a basketball in Burger King. He moves that giant piece of fat by hand and dumps it in the fryer. Also, food made with trans fat tastes better normal oil. Some restaurants are holding off the transaction because they afraid the tasted change will drive their customer away.

Some fast food restaurant like KFC and Taco Bell stop using trans fat after some fast food chain got sue over trans fat. However, smaller restaurant keep using trans fat because it is cheaper.

Trans fat is bad and it should be eliminate in all food. If you want to learn more about trans fat, go to http://www.bantransfats.com. It is a non profit organization that aim to ban trans fat from food.