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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| US debates 'hidden' food fats ban | US debates 'hidden' food fats ban |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Public hearings to discuss a plan to ban an ingredient called trans fatty acids from restaurants across New York are expected to begin on Monday. | Public hearings to discuss a plan to ban an ingredient called trans fatty acids from restaurants across New York are expected to begin on Monday. |
| The US city's health department says trans-fats are a serious health hazard. | The US city's health department says trans-fats are a serious health hazard. |
| For years health officials in New York have identified trans-fats as a food ingredient which can clog arteries and cause serious health problems. | For years health officials in New York have identified trans-fats as a food ingredient which can clog arteries and cause serious health problems. |
| Some restaurateurs will argue that a ban would be expensive to enforce and insist consumers should have a choice. | Some restaurateurs will argue that a ban would be expensive to enforce and insist consumers should have a choice. |
| Informed choice | Informed choice |
| For more than a year there has been a voluntary programme for the city's 20,000 restaurants and fast food outlets to remove trans-fats from the food they serve. | For more than a year there has been a voluntary programme for the city's 20,000 restaurants and fast food outlets to remove trans-fats from the food they serve. |
| TRANS-FATS They are partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, turning oily foods into semi-solid foodsUsed to extend shelf life of productsPut into pastries, cakes, margarine and some fast foodsCan raise levels of "bad" cholesterolEven a small reduction in consumption can cut heart diseaseThey have no nutritional benefit | |
| Clearly that has not been as successful as was hoped and now there is to be a series of public hearings to discuss a proposed new law which would ban all but the most minute traces of trans-fats from New York's menus. | Clearly that has not been as successful as was hoped and now there is to be a series of public hearings to discuss a proposed new law which would ban all but the most minute traces of trans-fats from New York's menus. |
| The city's health commissioner, Thomas Frieden, says that trans-fats are invisible and dangerous and once they are gone they would not be missed. | The city's health commissioner, Thomas Frieden, says that trans-fats are invisible and dangerous and once they are gone they would not be missed. |
| In a separate initiative, his department is also recommending that the calorie content of each item on a menu should be printed alongside it. | In a separate initiative, his department is also recommending that the calorie content of each item on a menu should be printed alongside it. |
| Officials say that many New Yorkers get at least a third of their calories from food eaten outside the home and they should be making a more informed choice about what they consume. | Officials say that many New Yorkers get at least a third of their calories from food eaten outside the home and they should be making a more informed choice about what they consume. |