German butter cake is safe!
From the Daily News:
Score one for the mom-and-pop bakeries that want to turn out trans-fat-laden pound cakes and cannolis. City Council, in a 16-to-1 vote yesterday, exempted the small businesses from the city’s relatively new trans-fat ban.
Even if health-conscious Mayor Street decides to veto the legislation - and his views were not forthcoming yesterday - Council has a veto-proof majority as long as 12 members vote to override any mayoral veto.
Only Councilman Juan Ramos, the sponsor of the original ban, voted against the bill granting an exemption to any city-based bakery with no more than three retail-sales locations. In defeat, Ramos pointed out that a number of bakeries had pledged to identify their trans-fat-free products, “and I would encourage them to continue that on their own.” But city bakers were able to make a strong case that Ramos’ bill created an unlevel playing field by allowing large bakers selling packaged goods in the city to continue using the artificial trans fats. Councilwoman Joan Krajewski, sponsor of the exemption, said local bakers who asserted that trans-fat substitutes reduced the quality of their products faced economic ruin if they were forced to give up trans-fat-based recipes.
Local bakeries win right to use trans fats [Daily News]
