New York bans soy

[topofmurrayhill]

Well, you can still sell candles made with it, but restaurants won't be able to serve food made with it because the artificial trans-fats are unhealthy.

[Candle Makin Momma]

Should I stop frying my chicken with my soy wax?

LMAO

[Ring of Fire]

What do you expect from a state that voted Hilary Clinton in again?

Nothing surprises me when it comes to NY. They ban something every half hour.

[topofmurrayhill]

Should I stop frying my chicken with my soy wax?

LMAO

Only if you own a restaurant in New York. Then you have to.

You can use soy oil, just not the wax.

[topofmurrayhill]

What do you expect from a state that voted Hilary Clinton in again?

Nothing surprises me when it comes to NY. They ban something every half hour.

We have a health obsessed mayor. It's tiresome.

Then again, the smoking bans are pretty widespread.

[romasoy]

Only if you own a restaurant in New York. Then you have to.

You can use soy oil, just not the wax.

Doesn't the soy oil contain the trans-fats also?

[topofmurrayhill]

Doesn't the soy oil contain the trans-fats also?

No, they're created by the hydrogenation process.

[Crafty1_AJ]

To answer your question, the process by which shortening is made (hydrogenization) pretty much takes perfectly harmless fats and turns them into menacing trans fats. lol

Shoot, I'm no fan of trans fats, but give me a break. Are beaurocrats going to regulate brushing our teeth, too? You just can't make a law about EVERYthing ... people have to take responsibility for their own health and food choices. Yikes.

[Golden Brands]

NYC Health Board Votes to Ban Trans Fats

By SARA KUGLER

The Associated Press

Tuesday, December 5, 2006; 12:54 PM

NEW YORK -- The Board of Health voted Tuesday to make New York the nation's first city to ban artery-clogging artificial trans fats at restaurants _ from the corner pizzeria to high-end bakeries.

The board, which passed the ban unanimously, did give restaurants a slight break by relaxing what had been considered a tight deadline for compliance. Restaurants will be barred from using most frying oils containing artificial trans fats by July and will have to eliminate the artificial trans fats from all of their foods by July 2008.

But restaurant industry representatives called the ban burdensome and unnecessary.

"We don't think that a municipal health agency has any business banning a product the Food and Drug Administration has already approved," said Dan Fleshler, a spokesman for the National Restaurant Association.

Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said recently that officials seriously weighed complaints from the restaurant industry, which argued that it was unrealistic to give them six months to replace cooking oils and shortening and 18 months to phase out the ingredients altogether.

The ban contains some exceptions; for instance, it would allow restaurants to serve foods that come in the manufacturer's original packaging.

Trans fats are believed to be harmful because they contribute to heart disease by raising bad cholesterol and lowering good cholesterol at the same time. Some experts say that makes trans fats worse than saturated fat.

The panel also passed another measure that has made restaurants unhappy: Some that chose to inform customers about calorie content will have to list the information right on the menu. The rule would generally apply to fast-food restaurants and other major chains.

Sheila Weiss, director of nutritional policy for the restaurant association, said the rule would be a disincentive for restaurants to provide any nutritional information.

Trans fats are formed when liquid oils are made into solid fats by adding hydrogen in a process called hydrogenation. A common example of this is partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, which is used for frying and baking and turns up in processed foods like cookies, pizza dough and crackers. Trans fats, which are favored because of their long shelf life, are also found in pre-made blends like pancake and hot chocolate mix.

The FDA estimates the average American eats 4.7 pounds of trans fats each year.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who banned smoking in bars and restaurants during his first term, is somewhat health-obsessed, and even maintains a weight-loss competition with one of his friends in order to stay slim.

He has dismissed cries that New York is crossing a line by trying to legislate diets.

"Nobody wants to take away your french fries and hamburgers _ I love those things, too," he said recently. "But if you can make them with something that is less damaging to your health, we should do that."

Many food makers have stopped using trans fats on their own, after the Food and Drug Administration began requiring companies to list trans fat content on labels.

Fast-food restaurants and other major chains were particularly interested in the board's decision on Tuesday, because for these companies, a trans-fat ban wouldn't just involve substituting one ingredient for another. In addition to overhauling recipes, they have to disrupt nationwide supply operations and try to convince customers that the new french fries and doughnuts will taste just as good as the originals.

Already, McDonald's Corp. has been quietly experimenting with more than a dozen healthier oil blends but has not committed to a full switch. At an investor conference last month, CEO Jim Skinner said the company is making "very good progress," at developing an alternative, and vowed to be ready for a New York City ban.

Wendy's International Inc. introduced a zero-trans fat oil in August and Yum Brands Inc.'s KFC and Taco Bell said they also will cut the trans fats from their kitchens.

Taco Bell worked for more than two years to find a substitute, conducting blind consumer taste tests and extensive research, the company said.

Chicago is also considering its own trans fat law, which wouldn't ban them outright but would severely restrict the amount that kitchens can use. The measure would apply only to large restaurants, defined as those that make more than $20 million in sales per year.

New York's move to ban trans fats has mostly been applauded by health and medical groups, although the American Heart Association warns that if restaurants aren't given ample time to make the switch, they could end up reverting to ingredients high in saturated fat, like palm oil.

___

Associated Press Writer David B. Caruso contributed to this report.

[ChrisR]

What do you expect from a state that voted Hilary Clinton in again?

Nothing surprises me when it comes to NY. They ban something every half hour.

Ya know a lot of people don't like Hillary, but for us small counties in Western NY she has done a great job of fighting for our communities to get our share of the funds we deserve and actually contribute to with our high taxes. She has been in our small rural areas more than many of our other Senators over the years and she actually has accomplished a lot and she should be proud of her record so far.

I wasn't fond of her either when she first got in office, but she has gained the respect of her constitutients because of her hard work and actually caring about what goes on here. New York State consists of more than just NY City and it was about time someone fought for our little communities to keep our money here and not down there!! NY City needs to become their own state and the sooner the better.........wishful thinking!

[Sharon in KY]

What do you expect from a state that voted Hilary Clinton in again?

Nothing surprises me when it comes to NY. They ban something every half hour.

Our next president... God forbid, I'll campaign for anyone running against her.

Does this mean Crisco is bad for you? Can't be, it makes the best cut out cookies.

[Kassandra]

Don't despair! There's always lard.

[geekrunner]

As far as banning trans-fats, I'm not real happy about some state/city doing something that affects the entire country. Just like when California was trying to force lawn mower manufacturers to build their lawn mowers with catalytic converters on them that they sell in CA. CA is such a huge market, that lawn mower makers would be forced to fit ALL their mowers with catalytic converters in order to keep from having two production lines. So for some states, a regulation they pass would become a de facto national regulation.

With this trans-fats deal, even if it only was in NYC, soon health nut groups would pressure restaurants all over the US to adopt the same ban. I am sick of nanny state thinking. Where does it all end? You know they won't stop till they can control every facet of our lives. How long will it be before they try to ban candle burning? Hmmm???

geek

[geekrunner]

Don't despair! There's always lard.

Thanks, I needed that.

geek

[Ring of Fire]

http://www.flowgo.com/index.cfm?action=view&id=13180&scid=10177

[Golden Brands]

Sounds like we have a libertarian in the group. You get um Geek

[Pam W]

How long will it be before they try to ban candle burning? Hmmm???

geek

BITE YOUR TONGUE, GEEK:tongue2:

[geekrunner]

BITE YOUR TONGUE, GEEK:tongue2:

ok

geek

[Kassandra]

:) Geek...

Seriously though, lard's ok right?

[geekrunner]

:) Geek...

Seriously though, lard's ok right?

My 92 YO grandma geek used to make the absolute best fried chicken. She deep fried it in a Dutch oven using lard. It wasn't the healthiest way to make it, but it was the tastiest! She also used lard in her pie crusts.

That might explain her high cholesterol, and her double bypass heart surgery when she was 75.

geek

[topofmurrayhill]

Lard has no trans fats and should have chemical similarities to soy. It's just pork tallow after all. What could be more natural and better for the environment? No hydrogenation required, no pesticides or herbicides, no chemical fertilizers, supports the American pig farmer. I think I'm going to make a candle. So OK it won't be kosher, but it will be more tasty.

Can anybody come up with what these letters can stand for?

P

I

G

W

A

X

[lsbennis]

I hate to burst the Pig Lard Bubble here but in reality pigs are pumped with hormones, antibiotics and fed foods full of pesticides and herbacides as well as many other various chemicals so the burning of a Lard candle would probably be even worse then Soy or Paraffin!

[topofmurrayhill]

I hate to burst the Pig Lard Bubble here but in reality pigs are pumped with hormones, antibiotics and fed foods full of pesticides and herbacides as well as many other various chemicals so the burning of a Lard candle would probably be even worse then Soy or Paraffin!

Unlike the soy people, I can use organic lard. You know, the kind that comes from the runty pigs that are riddled with pests and fed on slop. It's a little more expensive, but all natural! So there.

[Kassandra]

Okay, who's brave wnough to make a lard candle? (Certified, organic, free-range runts only!)... it shouldn't be too different than making a candle out of a stick of butter which was talked about here earlier... We might be on to something... Pig wax... I like it.

[Candle Makin Momma]

Man I would not want to smell that candle! LMAO