Chicago Mulls Trans Fat Ban For Restaurants

A proposal was introduced last Wednesday in Chicago to outlaw the use of artery-clogging trans fat oils by the city's restaurants, reports an article in The Chicago Tribune. The suggested ban introduced by Ald. Edward Burke, chairman of the City Council's Finance Committee, was criticized by Mayor Richard Daley, who said a ban was unnecessary. If adopted, Chicago would join Denmark and a few other countries where Trans fats are banned. New York City is attempting to pressure restaurants to abandon its use by regulating the oil.

It is the latest in a round of assertive initiatives to come before the council, which last month banned the sale of foie gras, a delicacy made from goose or duck liver. Last year, it approved a ban on using hand-held cell phones while driving and legislated the end of smoking in public places, such as restaurants.

Often used by restaurants and in packaged foods as a preservative, trans fatty acids are linked to cholesterol problems and the increased risk of heart disease. The Harvard University School of Public Health estimates 50,000 people die unnecessarily each year due to consumption of trans fats.

Its use can boost the fats in a food product by 20 percent or more, researchers say. Dietary guidelines issued by the federal government last year recommend people consume as few trans fats as possible.

"Chicago has the opportunity to take a bold step and protect its citizens from the ravages of unhealthy trans fats by banning their use in restaurants," said Burke.

Burke said he is not sure if there is enough council support for the ordinance, which would apply to any establishment with a restaurant license.

But some restaurants are moving in that direction anyway. Wendy's, the nation's third-largest hamburger chain, plans to begin selling foods prepared in a healthier oil developed on its behalf by Minneapolis-based Cargill Inc. in August.

Oak Brook-based McDonald's Corp., the world's largest hamburger chain, announced plans to switch the oil it uses to a trans-fat-free version in 2002. It is in development for the U.S. market. However, McDonald's already has stopped using trans fat oils in Denmark, Israel, Australia and the United Kingdom, where they are banned.

KFC was sued this month by the Center for Science in the Public Interest because the fried-chicken chain has failed to replace any of its trans fat oils. Two years ago the science group asked the Food and Drug Administration to require restaurants to post signs alerting customers to the use of trans fat oils.

Colleen McShane, president of the Illinois Restaurant Association, said the city's restaurants don't need the council's intervention. "There is a trend out there that more and more restaurants are going trans fat free," she said.

But some of the city's mom-and-pop restaurants could have difficulty complying with an ordinance requiring they use more expensive oil, McShane said.

"I don't think the government needs to come in and regulate this," she said. "When the consumer is educated, the consumer will demand it, and the restaurants will respond."

"Everybody is health conscious, but is the City Council going to plan our menus?" Mayor Daley asked.

The proposal has been assigned to committee, but hearings have not been scheduled. Burke predicted it could emerge from committee for a possible council vote in about three months.