CHICAGO (AP) — An Illinois lawmaker who sponsored failed legislation to ban artificial trans fats from restaurants said he'll try again with a version excluding baked goods such as doughnuts.
Rep. La Shawn Ford, a Chicago Democrat, told The
Associated Press he will attempt to raise awareness about the artery-clogging
effects of trans fats before reintroducing the bill later this year or next
year. He acknowledged that a trans-fats ban may have been difficult for small
businesses.
The Illinois House passed the bill but it failed in
the Senate, even with a Senate amendment excluding bakeries.
Ford said some senators didn't take the bill
seriously.
"They took it more as a joke," Ford said.
"I went over there to watch the debate. Some senators were saying, 'Please
don't take away my trans fats.'"
Illinois would have been the second state after
California to pass a trans-fat ban. Opponents of such laws say the food
industry already is eliminating the ingredient on its own.
Meat and dairy products contain natural trans fats.
Synthetic trans fats are made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oils, making them
solid at room temperature and less likely to spoil.
Scientific evidence links artificial trans fats
with heart disease. In 2006, the federal government began requiring packaged
foods to list trans fats on nutrition labels. The current U.S. Dietary
Guidelines call for keeping levels as low as possible.
Ford's west side district includes so-called
"food deserts" — neighborhoods where it's difficult to buy fresh
fruits and vegetables or find restaurants with low-fat menu items. Blacks are
more likely than whites to die of heart disease, making the issue a concern in
Ford's district.
Copyright
2011 The Associated Press.
