City Council passes ban on trans fats in Philadelphia restaurants

By Jen McShane
Collegian Staff
February 14, 2007

Yum. The first bite of a hot, steamy french fry. Or, the crunch of a potato chip. These two foods are consumed in large amounts daily, especially by the average young person. And, they are also full of trans fat.

However, the city of Philadelphia has just joined the combat in battling trans fats. Last Thursday, Feb. 8, the Philadelphia City Council voted unanimously to ban all restaurants in Philadelphia from serving dishes cooked in trans fat, such as frying foods in saturated oils. Mayor John Street is expected to sign the bill in the upcoming weeks. The vote for the ban occurred only a few weeks after it was first proposed.

So, what does the new bill mean for restaurants and lunch trucks in Philadelphia? First, come Sept. 1, all city eateries will be banned from frying foods in oils that contain trans fat. Restaurants must also stop serving spreads, such as certain types of margarine and butter, that are made with trans fat. By September 2008, no foods prepared and sold in Philadelphia restaurants will be permitted to contain trans fats. The ban does not apply to prepackaged foods sold in the city, which means Philadelphia’s beloved Tastykakes will not be affected.

There is no fine attached to this ban, so violators will not be charged. They will, however, be asked to attend trans fat lessons given by the Department of Health.

With all the talk about trans fat in Philadelphia and even currently at La Salle, what exactly qualifies as “trans fat,” and what is the harm? The National Academy of Science has discovered why trans fats are dangerous. In its 2002 findings, the Academy determined that “trans fatty acids are not essential to human health.” The Academy also discovered that trans fats lower levels of good cholesterol that increases the risk of coronary heart disease. The fats have been linked to bad cholesterol and heart disease.

It was the second finding of the Academy that has led to the recent search to lower the intake of trans fats. These oils have become popular because they are less expensive than other cooking oils and because trans fats lengthen the shelf life of a product.

Philadelphia Councilman Juan Ramos hopes that banning trans fats in Philadelphia restaurants will lead to a healthier city.

“I expect as Philadelphia’s food service establishments replace artificial trans fat with currently heart-healthy alternatives, the result could be as much as a six percent reduction in coronary heart disease events in our community,” Ramos told reporters.

While no one knows for sure if Ramos’ prediction will come true, eatery owners do not expect that Philadelphians will notice much difference in the taste of their food. In fact, many restaurants, including Tony Luke’s, the Marathon Grill and Dunkin’ Donuts have already eliminated trans fats from some or all of their products, with little difference in the taste of the food.

mcshanej2@lasalle.edu