Press Release
California Bans Trans Fats From Restaurants
By: Staff
Date: Friday, July 26, 2008
Source:
Restaurant News
California became the first state in the nation to ban trans fats from restaurant foods when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill on Friday that outlaws the artery clogger in a multi-year process.
As of Jan. 1, 2010, restaurants will be prohibited from using margarines, shortenings or frying media that contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, the source of artificial trans fatty acids. A one-year exemption is provided for oils used to fry yeast dough and cake batters, an exception apparently aimed at giving the makers of doughnuts and churros more time to find a trans-fat-free alternative.
All foods prepared in restaurants must be free of trans fats by Jan.1, 2011. The ban would not extend to products that are served in a manufacturer’s packaging, such as the crackers that are provided with soups.