By Michelle Ervin
City of Ottawa signs aren’t going to read: “Trans fat free” – at least not yet. v City council has rejected two proposed bans in the last year. Bay Councillor Alex Cullen campaigned to get trans fats out of restaurants but a May vote to win approval flopped. A few months later, city council struck down a second motion, which was to limit the ban to municipal buildings, on Aug. 29.
Local resident Ana Baez said she thinks city council should have voted in favour of the bans.
“It’s a bad decision for them,” said Baez, “because it’s a big issue right now.”
Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes voted in favour of the ban in municipal buildings. She said the support of the city’s medical officer influenced her decision. “City council is responsible for public health,” said Holmes.
Blue Cactus, a restaurant located in the Byward Market, has been using trans fat free cooking oils for at least five years now, said assistant general manager, Matthew Orawski. He said he doesn’t think a city-wide ban would be feasible because of the fried foods served in pubs.
Dietitian Nicole Gravel-Blauer said while fried foods tend to contain trans fats, it depends on the oil used to cook them.
Trans fat is a byproduct of hydrogenated oils, which means that it’s processed. Other fats occur naturally, including those in canola and olive oils.
Gravel-Blauer, who works at the Centretown Community Health Centre, said trans fats are common because they’re less expensive than other cooking oils.
“It’s an issue of importance to our guests,” he said.
But to James Dupre, general manager of The Works on Bank Street it is not an issue of cost. The restaurant recently opted for a healthier French fry even though it costs five times as much. Dupre said eating trans fat is individual choice but anyone who is responsible for health care has a role in its regulation.
Jordan Doyle, who works at the Broadway Bar and Grill in Stittsville, said his employer stopped using trans fats three or four years ago. He said he thinks the restaurant made the move when the culture changed.
“It doesn’t compromise too much on taste,” said Doyle.
Gravel-Blauer said the public is still learning about trans fats and that a ban might succeed in the future.
Trans fats increase bad cholesterol and decrease good cholesterol, said Gravel-Blauer. High blood cholesterol can increase the risk of circulatory problems, heart disease and stroke, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation website.
People need to remember to be aware of saturated fats as well, said Gravel-Blauer. “Fat is not the enemy. We still need fat in our diet, we just need to moderate.”
Other Canadian cities that have considered trans fat bans include Calgary and Toronto. The federal government has given food manufacturers until 2009 to voluntarily phase out trans fats. New York City made the move to adopt a trans fat ban last December.
Premier Dalton McGuinty has promised to get trans fats out of school cafeterias should he win his bid for re-election in the upcoming provincial election.