New York style fat busting on the menu

In an effort to try to help reduce the death toll of the city's biggest killer, heart disease, New York City health officials are calling for restaurants to eliminate trans fats from the list of ingredients they use in their cooking.

According to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the voluntary change could help fight the heart disease.

This of course would mean that in order to comply, chefs would have to eliminate many margarines and frying oils from their cooking.

Executive vice-president, E Charles Hunt, of the New York State Restaurant Association has backed the move.

Robert Eckel, president of the American Heart Association, confirms that the trans fats, which are found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, increase diners' chances of developing heart disease.

Apparently the Food and Drug Administration has already targeted trans fats, and as from January 2006, all foods containing the chemically modified oils must be labelled.