Now banned in Boston: artery-clogging trans fat.
The city's health board gave final, unanimous approval Thursday
to a ban on
the artificial substance in french fries, doughnuts, and other
dishes made
in restaurants and grocery stores.
"It's the right thing to do," said Harold Cox, a member of the
Boston
Public Health Commission.
Boston joins a growing number of cities, including New York and
Philadelphia, and the town of Brookline in banning the ingredient.
Trans
fat has been linked to heart disease in humans and to diabetes in
experimental animals.
The first phase of the ban goes into effect in September and
will apply to
the use of cooking oils, shortening, and margarine containing
artificial
trans fat. The makers of baked goods will have a year to eliminate
trans
fat from their products.
Packaged goods clearly labeled as containing the substance can
still be
sold, although most major manufacturers have already removed it.
The Boston prohibition would cover all restaurants, including
school and
hospital cafeterias, as well as fresh food prepared in groceries
and delis.
City inspectors will visit businesses to make sure they comply
with the
ban, and scofflaws could face fines of up to $1,000 for each
violation.
The prohibition faced only scant opposition. Of more than 90
written
comments, only three were antagonistic. And when the Health
Commission held
a public hearing Thursday on the ban, only four people showed up.
Janine M. Harrod, director of government affairs for the
Massachusetts
Restaurant Association, said members of the trade group were
worried they
could roll up multiple fines if an inspector found, say, several
products
containing artificial trans fat. But a commission attorney stressed
that
regulators do not intend to be punitive and promised instead to
work with
chefs to cook up dishes free of trans fats.
c.2007 The Boston Globe