In a move that surprised exactly no one, last week the Boston Public Health Commission voted to give preliminary approval to a ban on trans fats within the city’s limits. Shock us, shock us, shock us with that normative behavior, Boston! As in Brookline, the Boston trans fat ban would cover all food that is served in restaurants, bakeries, and school and hospital cafeterias, as well as prepared foods sold at grocery stores and delis. The ban would not extend to food sold at grocery stores and delis that was not prepared in house, so the Hostess cupcakes you buy at your local deli would still be legal, but the french fries you purchase there may well require different preparation techniques.
Although we were, initially, a little troubled by the implications of a trans fat ban, we’ve come to accept it as inevitable. Most restaurants and bakeries have already begun to get rid of trans fats and, frankly, we haven’t noticed any reduction in quality. We even like the new trans fat-free doughnuts at Dunkie’s. There’s no question that trans fats are wildly unhealthy, so, as long as we can still have our very occasional fix of processed unhealthy treats, we support a ban wholeheartedly.
What do you think about Boston’s proposed ban?
Boston Moves Toward A Ban on Trans Fats [Boston Globe]
