Trans Fat, Soon to be Banned in California

Photo by Steve Beger Photography (Beger.com Productions) via Flickr

Come a year and a half from now, trans fat in California restaurants will be a thing of the past. Then in 2011, baked goods will be trans fat free. It's all thanks to AB 97 by Assemblymember Tony Mendoza (D-Norwalk), which Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law today.

"California is a leader in promoting health and nutrition, and I am pleased to continue that tradition by being the first state in the nation to phase out trans fats," Governor Schwarzenegger said in a statement today. "Consuming trans fat is linked to coronary heart disease, and today we are taking a strong step toward creating a healthier future for California."

The California Restaurant Association lobbied against the bill saying that "it would not substantially affect public health because people eat most of their meals at home," according to the LA Times.

A representative for the association told the Times that "given the fact that our industry is already phasing out trans fat in response to customers and that there is a delayed timeline for compliance, we are confident we will be able to meet the mandate of the law."