Texans To Ban Trans Fat In Restaurants
May 16, 2009
The state of Texas is now likely to legislate that restaurants will only be allowed to fry food provided the oil that they fry it in contains no Trans fat. The senate bill numbered SB 204 which is being introduced by Senator Eliot Shapleigh sets out rules which would allow the big fast food restaurant chains until September 1, 2010 to change their cooking methods to something which is healthier. Other restaurants which have less than fifteen establishments would have until September 1st 2011.
Written by Richard Simmons, www.ukmedix.com
An initiative which was started in New York under Mayor Bloomberg has now spread to southern American states. The state of Texas is now likely to legislate that restaurants will only be allowed to fry food provided the oil that they fry it in contains no Trans fat. The senate bill numbered SB 204 which is being introduced by Senator Eliot Shapleigh sets out rules which would allow the big fast food restaurant chains until September 1, 2010 to change their cooking methods to something which is healthier. Other restaurants which have less than fifteen establishments would have until September 1st 2011.
In America, New York State and California were the first two states to ban the use of Trans fat in cooking and the trend is catching on. It is hoped that in a few years time the whole of America will be trans fat free. Trans fats is made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oils to make the food taste freshly fried for longer however it raises the amount of bad cholesterol in the blood and lowers the amount of good cholesterol which is directly linked to increased chances of suffering from a heart attack or a stroke and is thought to be a major cause of clogged arteries.
Senator Shapleigh said that it was estimated that 50,000 fatal heart attacks every single year are result of consuming too much Trans fat. Not everybody is in favour of this new legislation with Senator Kel Seliger calling it an “intrusion of government”. At Ukmedix News we strongly believe that government should legislate against Trans fat for the simple reason that they are responsible for increases in health care costs all over developed nations. Some people have argued those restaurants which serve Trans fats should add a tax to the products in same way that smokers pay extra for cigarettes to counteract the effects of the increased burden that they place on the health care system because of their smoking habit.
This law will not only save lives but will also save money.
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