Baltimore Limits Trans Fats
by ERICA LIEPMANN, Causecast Associate Editor
Baltimore, Maryland is home to a 30 percent higher death rate due to heart disease than the national average. These high rates are taking years off the average life expectancy of Baltimore residents. City officials are taking charge – driving a hard line against trans fats. Starting this week, all restaurants within the city will have to limit the amount of trans fats to no more than 0.5 grams per serving. The Baltimore Sun reports that the next item on the agenda will be legislation regarding salt reduction, following recommendations from a city task force currently investigating salt usage in restaurants.
Other cities, like New York, have implemented a law requiring nutritional information to be posted in restaurants. This legislation is intended to help customers make smarter choices and be more health conscious when purchasing food. The Coalition for Responsible Nutritional Information (CRNI) feels that local legislation isn’t enough. The CRNI advocates for federal legislation that will require nutritional information to be posted at all chain restaurants, supermarket delis, etc. If you’re behind this mission, contact your representatives and let them know you care about this issue. With groups like the CRNI working to make nutritional information accessible, and some areas that have adopted such legislation at the local level, nutritional information is slowly becoming more accessible nationwide.
However, Baltimore’s recent move is something altogether new because it actually limits the levels of unhealthy fats present in the food, instead of just providing posted data about it. Score one for Baltimore – will other cities follow suit?
Photo by jlwelsh, flickr.
- Posted by Causecast
Related causes: Health
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