Los Angeles County on Thursday rolled out a program in which local restaurants that agree to stop using heart-damaging trans fats in their cooking will get a decal to display in their windows.
Unlike eateries in New York City, which last year banned the use of trans fats, restaurants here get to decide which kinds of oils to use under the county's voluntary program.
Trans fats are plant oils with added hydrogen atoms; the altered fats are used in frying, baking and in manufactured foods to extend shelf life. Mounting evidence that shows they increase the risk of high cholesterol and heart disease has led to campaigns around the country to halt their use.
Some national fast-food chains, including Burger King, KFC and McDonald's, already have switched to other oils, county health officials noted.
"It's time for people to change the oil in their bodies," Dr. Jonathan Fielding, director of the county Department of Public Health, said at a news conference in West Los Angeles to launch the program.
Restaurants that decide to participate in the county program must apply to the Department of Public Health at a cost of $204. Public health inspectors will visit the establishment unannounced to verify that cooks are preparing food with trans-fat-free products and are not storing or serving partially hydrogenated oils, shortening or margarine with more than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving. The restaurant then will get a green decal to let health-conscious customers know it's on board.
Once restaurants have begun applying and are approved for the decals, county officials will list them on the public health website, lapublichealth.org, which also has information about the program.
Health officials said they don't know how many of the county's more than 30,000 restaurants will participate, but expressed confidence that consumers will like the program and patronize participating restaurants, thus encouraging more eateries to sign up.
"As people start looking for these zeros [on the decals] they're going to really respond," said Supervisor Yvonne B. Burke, a major proponent of the program.
Local officials initially explored banning trans fats in both the city of Los Angeles and the county but backed off in the face of jurisdictional issues with the state and potential opposition from the restaurant association, said Councilman Jose Huizar.
