California Bans Trans-Fats in Restaurants, Bakeries

California has become the first U.S. state to prohibit the use of trans fats in restaurants and bakeries.
According to the new law, trans fats will be banned from all California restaurants beginning in 2010. The prohibition against trans fats in bakeries will go into effect the following year. Packaged foods will not be affected by this law.

"California is a leader in promoting health and nutrition, and I am pleased to continue that tradition by being the first state in the nation to phase out trans fats," Governor Schwarzenegger said after signing the bill into law on July 25. "Consuming trans fat is linked to coronary heart disease, and today we are taking a strong step toward creating a healthier future for California."

According to information on the Mayo Clinic website, trans fats inflict a "double whammy" on the body. The substances increase an individual's LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, which can lead to a narrowing and hardening of the arteries - while decreasing one's HDL, or "good" cholesterol (thus increasing the risk of heart disease).

"This law will address the health issue of cardiovascular disease, which is the No. 1 killer in the nation and the state of California," Dr. P.K. Shah, director of cardiology at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, said in a July 26 Los Angeles Times article.

According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, removing trans fats from all food in the United States could result in as much as a 19 percent reduction in heart attacks throughout the nation.