Local Restaurants Adjust as City Begins Enforcement of Ban on Trans Fat

French fries, salami, chocolate cake, and cream of broccoli soup—after Oct. 1, 2007, trans fat may no longer lurk in the crevices of these delectable dishes at New York City restaurants without incurring fines of at least $200.

In Morningside Heights, all of the examined restaurants passed the inspections conducted by the Department of Health after the city began enforcing the ban at the beginning of this month.

Throughout the establishments frequented by Columbia students, many owners, managers, and customers said they were surprised to find the food just as tasty as it had been before the ban.

For foods sold in the original packages of the manufacturing companies, like chips and granola bars, the restaurant is not responsible for the food’s trans fat content. Restaurants or eateries selling prepackaged food experience an easier transition in complying with the ban. This explains why a restaurant like Tom’s, rather than Hamilton Deli, has to spend more money to comply, because more food is prepared and cooked at the restaurant itself.

To the chagrin of restaurant owners, the substitution of trans-fat-free oil and margarine increases the expenses of the restaurant.

For the owner of Tom’s Restaurant, Pete Papaharalambous, this increased cost and unnoticeable difference in the taste of the food makes the ban particularly frustrating.
Papaharalambous politely said that he thinks that “New York City is a rip-off.” The prices for food and clothing constantly increase, he said, and the ban places strain on restaurant establishments.

Papaharalambous speculated that these regulations are one of a series of steps that the city will try to implement to control people’s health, saying that it should be left up to individuals to make healthy choices. “Eat one piece of cake, if you eat a whole thing, of course you are going to feel like shit,” he said.

Of all people interviewed for this article, Papaharalambous was the only person to claim that trans fat enhances culinary delight, but said that he still wants to help people stay healthy. He fetched his restaurant’s high-quality butter in order to display the zero grams of trans fat on the nutrition label.

Pinnacle manager Chuck Lee said, “We never had to make any substitutions.” He claimed Pinnacle has always used olive oil, rather than lower-cost oils containing trans fat.

At Pertutti, the owners said, “Of course we are complying with the ban. If you don’t, you get fined. We are an Italian restaurant so we only use olive oil—we don’t fry our food.”

Hamilton Deli needed to substitute only the deli meats and frying oil. “It makes me feel healthier,” manager Nick Mamais said.