April 02, 2008

Trans Fats Gone From Non-Bakeries

Good news, everyone! Only 7 months after the world's lamest trans fat ban -- i.e., one with exemptions -- went into effect, the city is now well on its way to being free of trans fats! Or so says city Health Commissioner Dr. Donald Schwarz.

Schwarz says from the littlest cart to the biggest restaurant (Spaghetti Warehouse?), trans fans are out in Philadelphia: "I think people have embraced this. It's understood that it's an important public health issue. We've in general found restaurateurs who are taking this on as a challenge in a positive way: 'What can we do to maintain good taste, and yet comply the ordinance and good public health practice?'" You see, it's not a ban, it's a challenge. See what happens when you make these things fun?

Phila. Health Commissioner Say Trans Fat Ban ''Embraced'' [KYW 1060]

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October 10, 2007

City Council: Let Them Discuss Cake

If you need to know why the City Council (namely Councilwoman Joan Krajewski) is revisiting the trans fat ban, all you need to do is check out the mouthwatering CBS 3 report, which features multiple shots of donuts and makes you gain weight just by looking at it.

But City Council didn't just buy some donuts from local bakeries and then decide to reverse the ban. No, they debated it for three hours, according to Metro's new blog, cleverly titled Metropolis.

One of Juan Ramos' reasons for wanting to keep the ban on artificial trans fats? Avoiding national confusion.

Councilman Juan Ramos: "Philadelphia is nationally known as a trans fat-free city, this amendment would create confusion across the country."

Farmers in Idaho would just not know what to do if Philadelphia exempts "mom and pop" bakeries from the trans fat rules, which it's going to do of course.

City Council Bake-Off! [Metropolis]
Local Bakers Take Trans Fat Fight To City Hall [CBS 3]

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Big Cake Lobby Gets To Joan Krajewski

Last year, City Council passed a trans fat ban, which went into effect for chain restaurants last month. Trans fats are artificial fats which you probably shouldn't eat at all, and so now-lame duck Councilman Juan Ramos proposed a bill getting rid of them. It sailed through, 17-0, and everybody except the libertarians were happy.

But then Big Cake apparently got to one City Councilwoman, and Joan Krajewski wants to get rid of the law entirely. Because when she voted for it, she didn't know the city would be dictating what people eat, they'd only be dictating what people eat.

Failing a full reversal, Krajewski wants to exempt "mom and pop" stores, of which there are zero in all of America, from the trans fat ban. If not, the city will face a severe wedding cake shortage.

Paul Baumann has been working for 30-plus years in the family business, Mayfair Bakery on Frankford Avenue. He says he still uses trans fats in some of his baked goods, including wedding cakes: "If you want to do an elaborately decorated wedding cake with a soft cream icing, you need an icing that is firm and stable. That’s what the trans fats do. If they take the trans fats out, or they make them illegal in Philadelphia, I will have to reformulate everything that goes into a wedding cake."

Yes, it appears Big Cake (very big, wedding cake-sized) will have its way again. Let's just hope City Council doesn't cave in to Big Menu, either.

Nutritional Info on Restaurant Menus? [KYW 1060]
Council Revisits Ban on Trans Fats [KYW 1060]
[Photo via Mannassas Cakery, licensed via Creative Commons]

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March 29, 2007

Bristol Residents To Remain Full, Fat

A McDonald's is opening in Bristol. This isn't just any McDonald's, though, it's the first "Starbucks-like" "upscale" McDonald's in the Philadelphia area.

(Please note, if you were asked, "Where will the first upscale McDonald's open in the Philadelphia area?" and you answered "Bristol," I'm impressed.)

The store will replace an existing McDonald's, and will have more space and be more like Starbucks. I'm not quite sure how this works, but apparently Americans have tired of eating fatty foods in disgusting restaurants and want to do it in a little nicer place.

Although the new McDonald's will be larger, the burgers will remain the same size -- and remain fatty:

Councilman Joe Szafran took issue with the location of a Dumpster on the property, which the restaurant agreed to shroud in shrubbery. Szafran also wondered aloud about the nutritional content.

“You going to get rid of the trans fats?” he asked.

McDonald's officials laughed at the question but did not respond.

Ha ha, you puny humans and your desire to not die of heart disease.

McDonald's to build upscale restaurant on Bristol Pike [Bucks County Courier Times]

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