Trans Fat To Be Eliminated from School Lunches

Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Topics: Health
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Cleveland City Council has resolved to get trans fat out of school lunches. ideastream's Bill Rice reports.

The resolution passed yesterday encourages the Cleveland Municipal Schools to cease serving food containing trans fat. Trans fat is vegetable oil that has been chemically modified through hydrogenation, which makes it solid and increases shelf life. Some say it also makes foods like french fries and pie crust taste better. Trans fat has been linked to coronary artery and heart disease. Dr. Robert DeMaria of Elyria will testify at a council hearing on the matter in March. He’s written books about trans fat, which he claims is the leading cause of attention disorders in kids.

Robert DeMaria: So you’re sending a kid to school, and you’re going to be feeding him the food that causes trans fat. It makes logical sense to me that if you could start making some modifications in their diets, maybe it would give these kids a fighting chance.

The measure passed yesterday amends a previous resolution that urges Cuyahoga County health officials to ban trans fat in restaurants. Bill Rice, 90.3.