A Quiet Response to Brookline Trans Fats Ban?

It's official - Brookline will purge trans fats, which increase bad cholesterol, from all foods made within its restaurants and schools. Per the ban, restaurants must "stop using trans fats for frying by Nov. 30, 2008, and to end their use in baked goods by April 30, 2009."

The ban proposal enjoyed overwhelming approval, and, since more and more food products are phasing out trans fats, these bans don't seem that ridiculous after all. "Trans fat free" or "Zero trans fat" is now a big part of a food products sales pitch. However, we expected more of a fight from those who think that banning trans fats smacks too much of the nanny state.

When we looked for reactions, we were surprised at how quiet people were in general. The vote passed 194 to 11. One of the opposing voters was worried that the ban would just make people think French fries are okay to eat as long as trans fat wasn't used to make them.

Others are worried that kosher establishments won't be able to meet the deadline because they will have a hard time finding an alternative that meets their needs. The Brookline TAB noted that all restaurants will be able to apply for a "hardship waiver" that extends the deadline by six months.

Paul Levy, Beth Israel Deaconness CEO and "Running a Hospital" blogger, says the move reminds him of Woody Allen's Sleeper because, someday in the far future, we'll discover that hot fudge is nutritious.

Oh, and there's also that little matter of flavor. Before the vote on the trans-fat ban, Leila Cohan at Menu Pages admits "Some things just taste better with a dab or two of Crisco. Dunkin Donuts has been wrestling with the question of how to make tasty donuts without using trans fats since 2004 and still has not come up with a solution."

What do you think? Nanny state or sensible idea? And if you know how to make a donut without shortening, would you mind sharing your secrets with the world? Oh, and by the way, we're still waiting to find out which Thai restaurant in Allston is keeping stem cells in a fridge.

Image of shortening, which doesn't look especially appetizing, from BusinessWeek.