Menu labeling, trans fat ban approved by the Board of Health (King County, Washington State)

King County Public Health ^ | July 19, 2007

[Stoat]

Menu labeling, trans fat ban approved by the Board of Health

Thursday, July 19, 2007

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - People will be able to make more informed food choices and have a safer food supply as the result of today’s action by the King County Board of Health to require menu labeling in King County chain restaurants and to eliminate artificial trans fat in all King County restaurants. Board of Health members expressed strong support for the decision that will improve the dining experience and the health of the community in the fight against obesity and chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

“The Board of Health is responsible for passing laws to protect the health of the public, and to promote healthy behaviors that improve health and prevent illness,” said King County Councilmember and Board of Health Chair Julia Patterson. “There is no better example of our commitment to residents’ health than the legislation passed today that protects us from dangerous trans fats and promotes consumer education and informed choices by labeling menus.”

“With the menu labeling requirement, the Board has taken a significant step today to enable us to make more informed choices about the food we eat,” said Dr. David Fleming, Director and Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County. “And, the elimination of artificial trans fat is great news for preventing heart disease and improving the health of our community.”

“Our rising health care costs, our growing number of obese, diabetic and chronically ill residents, and a lack of information to inform choices that improve our health, all prompted the Board of Health to take action today,” said Seattle City Councilmember and Board of Health Member Sally Clark.

“Since last December, the King County Board of Health has considered options to halt and potentially reverse the growing obesity trend in our county. After many months of education, discussion and deliberation, as well as the appointment and recommendations from a stakeholder committee, we resolved that banning trans fats and requiring chain restaurants to menu label were important options we could implement,” said Issaquah Mayor and Board of Health Member Ava Frisinger. “The worsening health of residents is an extremely complex problem to solve, but eliminating fats we know harm health and providing consumers with information about the food they eat are two strategies that can begin to address and improve our health.”

“The American Heart Association has long recognized that the consumption of artificial trans fats and the increase in obesity rates puts people at risk for heart disease,” said Dr. Benjamin Danielson, M.D., volunteer spokesperson and local board member for the American Heart Association. “The Board’s action today fits into our comprehensive approach to improving the health of King County residents by empowering all of us to be informed consumers and making healthier eating choices.”

“Menu labeling has the support of more than 65% of King County residents, who want to know how healthy, or unhealthy, restaurant meals they enjoy are,” said Board of Health Member Dr. Bud Nicola. “People with diabetes who track their intake of carbohydrates, people with high blood pressure who watch the sodium content of foods, and people who are overweight or obese, who are calorie or fat counting, will all see direct benefits in their ability to manage their condition.”

The Board of Health and Public Health - Seattle & King County will be working with the restaurant industry and the public through education campaigns that will prepare them for the menu labeling and trans fat changes in the upcoming months. Technical assistance will be available to restaurants to assist them in following the new regulations. The public education campaign includes plans to work with community partners to ensure that everyone understands how to utilize the nutritional information to make informed choices.

More about menu labeling:

The new law will require chain restaurants with more than ten national locations to display calorie, fat, sodium and carbohydrate information on menus. If the restaurant uses a menu board, the calories will be posted on the board in the same size and font as the price information. The remaining nutritional information will be provided in a plainly visible format at the point of ordering. Only standard menu items will need to be labeled – occasional “specials” will be exempt.

Restaurants will have until August 1, 2008 to conduct the nutritional analysis and put the information on menus and menu boards. King County will be the second jurisdiction in United States to require menu labeling in some food establishments.

More about artificial trans fats:

Trans fats will be eliminated in all King County restaurants in two phases. Fry oils and shortenings with artificial trans fats will not be permissible after April 1st, 2008. Restaurants must find alternatives for margarine and all other products containing trans fats by February 1st, 2009. Many restaurants have already made the switch to trans fat free alternatives, but the new rules will ensure that the remaining restaurants will make the change as well.

Artificial trans fats have been used widely in the restaurant and processed food industries because they have a high smoking temperature and they keep food stable over a long shelf life. Industry trends have been to find alternatives to the use of trans fats, so there are non-trans fats options available from distributors and in processed products.

The King County Board of Health sets county-wide public health policy, enacts and enforces local public health regulations, and carries out other duties of local boards of health specified in state law. These duties include enforcing state public health statutes, preventing and controlling the spread of infectious disease, abating nuisances, and establishing fee schedules for licenses, permits and other services.

[Stoat]

Related FR thread from July 10, 2007

King County May Ban Trans Fats At Restaurants (Washington State)

[Stoat]

Related article from July 19, 2007 in the Seattle P.I.

(excerpted due to Free Republic posting rules, please click on the link to read the full text)

King County restaurants told to phase out trans fats

"Joining what appears to be a national trend in the wake of the obesity epidemic, the King County Board of Health told county restaurants Thursday to phase out trans fats and voted to require chain restaurants to provide nutritional information for all menu items.

The new rules, opposed by the restaurant industry as too costly, were adopted after about six hours of discussion and comments from members of the public, most of whom supported the rules.

The labeling requirement calls for all chain restaurants -- those with at least 10 branches nationwide -- to list calories, saturated fat, carbohydrates and sodium in each regular food item they serve. Restaurants have until Aug. 1, 2008, to comply.

Under the trans fat rule, all foods containing artificial trans fats would have to be off the menu by Feb. 1, 2009."

[proudpapa]

While they’re at it they should ban all Coke/Pepsi products and any other products made with corn syrup.

[sionnsar]

Say WA? Evergreen State ping

FReepmail sionnsar if you want on or off this ping list.

Ping sionnsar if you see a Washington state related thread.

[Stoat]

While they’re at it they should ban all Coke/Pepsi products and any other products made with corn syrup.

As well as requiring all restaurants to employ State-certified "nutrition experts" who will circulate throughout the restaurant and "adjust" patrons' orders based upon a "health assessment" of the patron / food order interrelationship.

[bigfootbob]

The profit margins must be phenomenal in King County to foster such buffoonish notions from the ruling elite. I’m soooo glad I moved from King County in 1985.

[MIT-Elephant]

My family moved out of Bellevue in 2002. I was sad about it and wish I could go back, but between Christine Gregoire’s stolen election and this crap I see King County has become just another San Francisco+suburbs lib-fest.

We never should have let the Californians move up there (we came from Michigan, incidentally.)

[swarthyguy]

At some point in the near past, these damn Boards of Health seem to have taken over everything.

At some level, virtually everything is unhealthy.

The precedent has been set. Fear the future.

[hunter112]

Ah, King County, where they ban trans fats, but celebrate trans sexuals!

[Stoat]

The profit margins must be phenomenal in King County to foster such buffoonish notions from the ruling elite. I’m soooo glad I moved from King County in 1985.

And it seems that their profits will rise exponentially in the near future, as I've heard that there is a passionate, religious zeal on the part of King County 'government' to increase the number of red-light cameras in Seattle as quickly as possible.

I would have left decades ago if it hadn't been for responsibilities that keep me here.  "sigh"

[vetsvette]

Certainly Castro would approve of this, so it must be a good thing.

[MEGoody]

I don’t have a problem with labels being required. I do have a problem with banning things like trans fats. If someone wants to eat them, knowing they are there, they should be able to go for it.

[bigfootbob]

Kalifornian’s have a way of screwing up every where they go. That is who we should consider deporting and building a wall against.

[vetsvette]

“While they’re at it they should ban all Coke/Pepsi products and any other products made with corn syrup.”

Another great idea for which Castro would express delight.

[BwanaNdege]

If one can no longer own weapons and the government controls what one eats then serfdom/slavery will soon follow.

[Shots]

Blame it on PETA

Oh hell blame it on Bush he gets the blame for everything

[durasell]

I don’t see anything wrong with this. People can read the information and take personal responsibility for their choices.

[Mase]

While they’re at it they should ban all Coke/Pepsi products and any other products made with corn syrup.

In addition to the fact that Coke and Pepsi aren't made with corn syrup, what else are you misinformed about?

[Apt604]

Everyone would express delight. Coke & Pepsi just haven't been the same since they switched to that awful syrup.

[durasell]

In addition to the fact that Coke and Pepsi aren’t made with corn syrup, what else are you misinformed about?

---

Why aren’t there any eggs in eggplants? This is a huge scandal! The people have to know!

[Stoat]

I don’t see anything wrong with this. People can read the information and take personal responsibility for their choices.

Menu labeling is only half of the issue at hand here.  I think that the notion of The Government using it's sledgehammer to forcibly legislate the entire restaurant industry to comply with specific food and preparation choices has gotten a lot of people's backs up.  Although I have no doubt that a reduction in transfat consumption would be beneficial for many people (as is the case for innumerable food additives), legislating that NOBODY is EVER allowed to sell such products in King County I think strikes many as heavyhanded when a more gentle education program might be even more effective, and less emblematic of an overreaching Government as well.

Just because Government CAN use it's full might on an issue doesn't necessarily mean that it 'should'.

[Shots]

In addition to the fact that Coke and Pepsi aren't made with corn syrup, what else are you misinformed about? Hummmmm have you read a label on a bottle classic coke or Pepsi lately? I did not think so Coke reds High Fructose Corn Syrup and/or Sucrose, Water, Caramel Color, Phosphoric Acid, Natural Flavors, Caffeine.

The Pepsi-Cola drink contains basic ingredients found in most other similar drinks including carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, colorings, phosphoric acid, caffeine, citric acid and natural flavors. The caffeine free Pepsi-Cola contains the same ingredients minus the caffeine. Now go directly to jail and do not collect 200.00

[Stoat]

“Death of Dick’s Restaurants” ping :-(

[aligncare]

I look at labels on food packages all the time. A lot of valuable information on them for diabetics, food allergy sufferers, phenylketonuronics, dieters, etc. There was a time when there was no info on food products found in groceries.

Would you people have complained about an overreaching government when food labeling was first required by law? I’m sure many of you probably read the labels.

In my opinion, information is always a good thing. Additionally, I don’t think restaurant chains would have done this voluntarily.

[IslandJeff]

A possible market reaction (the silver lining to this Nanny-State BS) could be the return of lard and tallow.

Yum!

[durasell]

It’s a double-edged sword. If you want folks to take responsibility for themselves, then they need information. Obviously the restaurant industry is not going to do anything voluntarily that limits their potential sales.

It’s the same with Tylenol labeling — Tylenol can be extremely harmful if consumed with alcohol, yet the manufacturer has never labeled it with a warning. When I tell people that they usually say, “Gee, I didn’t know that, why don’t they say it on the label?”

[IslandJeff]

No one short of Don James could ever touch Dick’s Drive In.

Some clever Councilman (e.g. Mao Constantine) could write a grandfather clause for the Spady’s Baby.

[Stoat]

A possible market reaction (the silver lining to this Nanny-State BS) could be the return of lard and tallow.

Yum!

LMAO!

I'm guessing that an immediate reaction will be in Dick's Restaurants closing out all locations and moving to Snohomish and Pierce Counties.

A possible market reaction (the silver lining to this Nanny-State BS) could be the return of lard and tallow.

Yum!

[eXe]

Yeah I love that line..

“People will be able to make more informed food choices”

Yeah loads of “choices” you have when big brother BANS everything. :)

[Stoat]

It’s a double-edged sword. If you want folks to take responsibility for themselves, then they need information. Obviously the restaurant industry is not going to do anything voluntarily that limits their potential sales.

It’s the same with Tylenol labeling — Tylenol can be extremely harmful if consumed with alcohol, yet the manufacturer has never labeled it with a warning. When I tell people that they usually say, “Gee, I didn’t know that, why don’t they say it on the label?”

I haven't heard anyone complaining about the labeling issue.  Again, it's the notion of the Government forcibly dictating what restaurants and chefs can and cannot serve, and using their power to micromanage a specific item that is only a significant threat when overconsumed.  Labeling is fine....I'm all for that, but it's the second aspect of this ruling which is troublesome to many.

It sets an uncomfortable precedent for many people who believe in a limited Government.

It’s a double-edged sword. If you want folks to take responsibility for themselves, then they need information. Obviously the restaurant industry is not going to do anything voluntarily that limits their potential sales.

It’s the same with Tylenol labeling — Tylenol can be extremely harmful if consumed with alcohol, yet the manufacturer has never labeled it with a warning. When I tell people that they usually say, “Gee, I didn’t know that, why don’t they say it on the label?”

[swarthyguy]

Smaller food portions mandated by BOH coming next.

[durasell]

Banning trans fats makes me uncomfortable as well, though I suspect the problem will take care of itself as new formulations come on the market.

[Stoat]

Smaller food portions mandated by BOH coming next.

They are already doing that at The 13 Coins (a longtime stoat fave) along with higher prices, of course.

 

[Stoat]

Sorry, previous link in post didn't work when posted.  Trying again:

http://www.13coins.com

13 Coins - Award Winning Restaurants - splash

hopefully one of these will work.  

 

[swarthyguy]

The restaurants would love it, higher profits and social welfare both satisfied.

Used to be only fancy places gave you niggardly portions for pricy entrees.

Now, we’ll have Joe’s local diner restricting your calorie intake.

[Stoat]

Banning trans fats makes me uncomfortable as well, though I suspect the problem will take care of itself as new formulations come on the market.

I hope that you are right, but it's been quite some time since NYC started the ball rolling with the transfat banning (I think it was NYC....or was it Berkeley?) and according to the restaurant industry, nothing that recreates the specific flavor of transfats has appeared on the market.  If this ruling was in response to an additive that was shown to be an immediate danger, then I would say that the Board of Health is doing it's job in protecting the public from threats in the food chain.  In the case of transfats, though, the effects are cumulative over considerable time and can be mitigated simply by not overconsuming the products that contain them.  I would have preferred a less heavy-handed approach.

[browardchad]

I really don't give a fig about trans-fat. Unless you've got some weird stuff in your pantry, you'd be hard pressed to find anything that contains the stuff nowadays, so unless you eat out on a regular basis, you're not consuming a whole lot of the stuff, and even then I doubt that most food establishments use the stuff nowadays.

Instead, can we ID where the fish and meat served in restaurants comes from? There's certainly more of a risk from from banned antibiotics and polluted growing environments in those puppies.

I prefer not to pay $20 - $40 for an entree that hails from the filth of the Yangtze River, or the halls of Montezuma's revenge.

[Mase]

Hummmmm have you read a label on a bottle classic coke or Pepsi lately? I did not think so Coke reds High Fructose Corn Syrup and/or Sucrose, Water, Caramel Color, Phosphoric Acid, Natural Flavors, Caffeine.

Sorry, Shots. I could have saved you a lot of time if I had just said in my post that the make up of corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup are very different. They are two very different products that serve very different purposes.

Wanting either of them banned is looney tunes. The fact that people who don't know the difference want them banned is comical.

[djf]

I ain’t been there in a coons age...

Sauteed Prawns and Linguini...

To die for!!!

[aligncare]

Have you seen how overweight your neighbors are? Could be they could stand a bit of calorie restriction.

[Stoat]

I ain’t been there in a coons age...

Sauteed Prawns and Linguini...

To die for!!!

You should give them another visit sometime  :-)

The Fairview and John location has the better chefs....the Airport location isn't built so much on return business but on the volume created by being just down the street from the airport.

The staff is always polite and treats you like a human being.  Their 24 hour menu means that they won't say "no, we're not serving that at this time".  Plenty of free parking across the street.

Never had anything approaching a bad meal there after nearly 30 years of loyal patronage

Their portions have gotten smaller and more expensive though, but most folks will still probably not leave hungry.

For dessert, the fried ice cream is always a crowd pleaser   :-)

I ain’t been there in a coons age...

Sauteed Prawns and Linguini...

To die for!!!

[swarthyguy]

So, you want goobermint mandates for that?

Wunnerful! Landofthefree and all that.

Let them as rational, free thinking individuals make that choice.

Are we that weak that we need a govt law for everything.

Guess we are.

[Stoat]

I prefer not to pay $20 - $40 for an entree that hails from the filth of the Yangtze River, or the halls of Montezuma's revenge.

Agreed.  a nice steak from Texas or Oklahoma is my preferred choice.

[goodnesswins]

Labeling them is fine....BANNING them is the issue

[IslandJeff]

Best omelettes in the USA.

[Mase]

Banning trans fats makes me uncomfortable as well, though I suspect the problem will take care of itself as new formulations come on the market.

I would hope it makes you more than uncomfortable. The "problem" wouldn't be a problem if not for the incredible amount of misinformation the food police and toxic terrorists have bombarded the public with. The fact is trans fats comprise less than 2% of our total caloric intake. To blame trans fats for heart disease, obesity, diabetes and sun spots is absurd especially when saturated fat is making up 12-15% of our total caloric intake.

This issue is nothing but a calorie distraction foisted on us by a bunch of know nothing do gooders who want to act like they're doing something about the problem. Typical of liberals. Results don't matter, only intentions matter.

Whatever replaces the trans fat will have just as many calories. People are obese, suffer heart disease and contract diabetes because they consume more calories than they burn. That's it in most cases. It's pretty simple really. Why we so readily sacrifice our freedom to the alter of junk science is truly disturbing.

As an aside, removing TFA's from products like cooking oil has serious negative implications for consumers. Removing these fats could result in the product oxidizing much more rapidly. Oxidation creates large amounts of free radicals. Consuming free radicals, no matter who you are, is not something you want to do. There are always unintended consequences when do gooders do good. Hence my tagline.

[djf]

When I go, it’s always the Airport one, but like the last 3 times I tried to get in it was a 90 minute wait.

And they didn’t, last time I checked, take a res.

:-(

So I usually go to the casino and get the all-u-can-eat seafood buffet, which is a pretty respectable spread.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

Before you know it Govt. will have banned everything that is unsafe or even marginally dangerous.

And we’ll all live forever!!

[Stoat]

Best omelettes in the USA.

OMG they are wonderful!

Lawdy, you folks are making my tummy rumble!

Let's see....how can I justify a nice dinner out tonight?

"snicker"

[Stoat]

When I go, it’s always the Airport one, but like the last 3 times I tried to get in it was a 90 minute wait.

And they didn’t, last time I checked, take a res.

:-(

So I usually go to the casino and get the all-u-can-eat seafood buffet, which is a pretty respectable spread.

I'm very sorry to hear that.  I think that you will have better luck if you avoid Friday and Saturday nights....I have often gotten in on a weekday at dinnertime with less than 15 minutes' wait....and breakfasts and lunch during the week are almost always no wait at all (speaking of the Fairview and John location).

It's true about reservations....I think that they will only take them if you have a party of six or more, as I recall.

When I go, it’s always the Airport one, but like the last 3 times I tried to get in it was a 90 minute wait.

And they didn’t, last time I checked, take a res.

:-(

So I usually go to the casino and get the all-u-can-eat seafood buffet, which is a pretty respectable spread.