ALBANY COUNTY — Local restaurants are preparing to change how they cook since the county legislature voted to ban trans fat.
Trans fat is the common name for a type of unsaturated fat, developed for its long shelf life. According to the National Academy of Sciences, which advises the government for public policy, "trans fatty acids are not essential and provide no known benefit to human health." The NAS, in its 2005 report, says there is no safe level of trans fat consumption because any increase increases the risk of coronary heart disease.
"Food nutrition values should start at a young age," said legislative Majority Leader Frank Commisso.

Earlier this month, the legislature unanimously passed a resolution banning the fats from county restaurants. The plan will be incorporated in the Albany County Sanitary Code.

Commisso, who sponsored the proposal, said obesity in children leads to other problems. After educating himself about trans fats and their health implications, Commisso said, he then moved forward with a plan to remove them from local restaurants. Last December, New York City banned trans fat from its restaurants.
"I would hope that, within a year, we’ll have a fully executed plan," said Commisso. Some area restaurants have already taken steps in the right direction on their own, he said. By changing from oils and shortenings that contain trans fats to healthier oils, such as corn, canola, and soy, "One would not taste the difference," Commisso said. Some healthier oils are cheaper and others are more expensive, "depending on which way you go," he said.
Michelle Catalano, owner of The Highlands Restaurant in Knox, made the switch to non-trans fat oils around September of last year after reading an article about the ban in New York City restaurants. Catalano called the switch "an easy move," and said the change hasn’t affected the taste of her food or her customers’ satisfaction. It also doesn’t cost more, she said.
"The quality is great," she said, adding that soy bean oil has long been on store shelves but wasn’t marketed as a non-trans fat product.
"If there is a difference, I can’t notice it, and neither can my customers," Catalano said.

John Knight, night manager of Bountiful Bread in Stuyvesant Plaza, said his store won’t be affected much because it doesn’t use fryers. Knight suspected fast-food restaurants will be more affected by the new restrictions. Bountiful Bread will have to switch from margarine to butter, and Knight estimated that the price of a $2.49 muffin will increase by 10 to 15 cents.

Personally, Knight said, he thinks the ban could steer consumers away from Albany County, and they might seek out nearby eateries without a ban, in Troy or Rensselaer. Changing to non-trans fat oils doesn’t affect the taste of foods, but does change the texture of fried foods, he said. The ban will not affect the way Bountiful Bread orders ingredients because its supplier also sells butter, he said.

Potato-chip manufacturers are also removing trans fats from their products, and clearly labeling their packages, Commisso said. In 2002, Frito-Lay began to eliminate trans fat from Doritos, Tostitos, and Cheetos; the company then manufactured reduced-fat products.
"I don’t expect restaurants to list all the ingredients of a burger," Commisso said, adding that it would be too much of a burden for restaurant owners. Trans fats are most commonly found in the icing of baked foods and in cakes and cookies, he said.
"The consumer is becoming very educated about what’s in foods," Commisso said.