Assembly committees consider bills to ban trans fats

AP via SFGate ^ | 3/4/7 | STEVE LAWRENCE

[SmithL]

SACRAMENTO, (AP) -- California may be joining the health crusade against trans fats, the artery-clogging substances that can mean longer shelf life for food but shorter life spans for humans.

Bills scheduled for hearings this week in the state Assembly would ban the use of artificially created trans fats in food prepared in California's restaurants, grocery stores and schools.

"Trans fats kill people," said Assemblyman Tony Mendoza, D-Artesia. "They're a major cause of heart disease and diabetes. They have no nutritional value. Why have them?"

Mendoza is the author of a bill that would phase out the use of oils, margarine and shortening containing trans fats to prepare foods in restaurants, bakeries, delicatessens, cafeterias and other businesses classified as "food facilities" starting in July 2008.

Food items sold in their manufacturers' sealed packaging would be exempt.

Mendoza's bill is scheduled to be considered Tuesday by the Assembly Health Committee.

Bills by Assemblymen Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, and Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, that would ban trans fats in school food are on the Assembly Education Committee's agenda on Wednesday.

Trans fats are a type of unsaturated fat that occurs naturally in small amounts in meat and dairy products. Most trans fats that are consumed are created when vegetable oil is treated with hydrogen to create baked goods and other items with a longer shelf life.

A number of studies have found that trans fats increase bad cholesterol and reduce the amount of good cholesterol in humans.

New York City and Philadelphia have approved ordinances banning trans fat. Bills have been introduced in at least 15 other states to take the same step, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

[SmithL]

Banning all trans fats won't help the fat-heads in Sacramento.

[stm]

"Trans fats kill people......"

So does stepping in front of a speeding bus you pinhead. STFU and go have another bowl of tofu.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

If people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny.
Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826)

[heleny]

"Trans fats kill people," said Assemblyman Tony Mendoza, D-Artesia. "They're a major cause of heart disease and diabetes. They have no nutritional value. Why have them?"

False. Trans fats, like many other edible fats, provide around 9 kcal energy per gram. American people paid attention to calories when food was scarce -- without consuming calories, we'd all die. How can one claim there's no nutritional value there?

If they're looking at purported nutritional needs, why not ban alcohol (7 kcal/gram) and cigarettes, or sucralose, aspartame, saccharin, and acesulfame potassium?

[cubreporter]

Socialism at its finest. Warn people then go away. It's free choice! This IS the USA

[goldstategop]

Liberals are not content to cool the air; no - they need to see how food is prepared in the kitchen.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus