Trans-fat free–our county is number 1!

It’s exciting–Montgomery County, Maryland (the county in which I live and eat out) will be the first county in the US to go “trans fat free”!!! See the full article in the Washington Post.

What are Trans Fats?

Trans fats are “partially hydrogenated” oils, in which hydrogen is added to liquid oils to make the oil more solid, and in turn, more shelf-stable (think your crunchy cookie or cracker). Trans fat, like its sibling, saturated fat, raises cholesterol levels and can increase your risk of heart disease. Like saturated fat, it is important to decrease your intake of trans fat (goal = NO trans fat in your diet). Look at your food’s nutrition label to make sure that it is “trans fat free”.

In the past, when you ate out, you could not guarantee that the food you were about to eat was cooked in trans-fat free oil, or that the food itself was trans fat free. Starting January 2008, Montgomery County, MD restaurants, bakeries, and delis will all be trans-fat free. The only time that these food establishments could have trans-fat containing foods is when they sell packaged items bought outside the county (the example given was Sara Lee cakes). As well, schools, church suppers, and grocery store eateries will also be subject to this new law. I hope that my local church’s many dinners will not decrease because of these new laws!

Although we have a long way to go to make food healthier when we eat out, I think this is a step in the right direction!

What are your thoughts?

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