Bakers exempted from
city’s ban on trans fats

Let them eat cake, trans fats and all. City Council last week approved Councilwoman Joan Krajewski’s amendment to exempt bakers from the city’s ban on the use of trans fats in foods prepared by restaurants and other eateries.
The lone dissenter was Councilman Juan Ramos, who authored the trans-fat legislation.
Initially, bakeries were part of the sweeping trans-fat bill signed into law by Mayor John Street in February. Under its provisions, food is considered to contain artificial trans fat if it "labels as, lists as an ingredient, contains or is vegetable shortening, margarine or any kind of partially hydrogenated vegetable oil." A product is considered free of trans fats if it contains less than a half gram per serving.
As part of a growing movement to rid the artery-choking fats, part of Philadelphia’s ban took effect on Sept. 1, prohibiting eateries and a wide range of other food businesses from frying foods in trans fats or serving margarine and similar spreads to patrons. Next September, the ban will be expanded to end the use of trans fats as a recipe ingredient.
That’s the part that would have affected neighborhood bakeries. Bakers had argued that altering their family recipes would change not just the trans-fat content, but the taste, consistency and shelf life of the tasty treats that have been part of Philadelphia family celebrations for decades.
More than a dozen bakery representatives testified at a City Council hearing, and Krajewski presented more than 15,000 signatures on petitions that had been collected at bakery counters throughout the city.
Krajewski’s 6th district — which includes Mayfair, Holmesburg, Wissinoming, Tacony and Holme Circle — is home to some of the Northeast’s best-known bakeries and diners. ••