The ban, which was earlier applied only to fry oils and spreads, will now include baked goods, frozen foods, cannolis and doughnuts, the health regulators have announced.
According to a survey by the Health Department, nearly 98 percent of the restaurants in New York have reduced trans fats from their menu. A large number have also reduced saturated fat in certain fried foods to some extent.
The ban is not applicable to any food sold in its original packing, such as crackers and candies.
Trans fat is the common name for a type of unsaturated fat with trans-isomer fatty acid(s). Trans fats may be monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. Health authorities worldwide recommend that consumption of trans fats be reduced to trace amounts.
While both saturated and trans fats increase levels of LDL cholesterol (so-called bad cholesterol), trans fats also lower levels of HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol), thus increasing the risk of coronary heart disease.
