A cover story in the Dining section of The New York Times today takes on the city’s trans fat ban and its effects on the food industry far and wide (if you can’t find the article, look under the giant gory meat porn). People are, perhaps for the first time, taking notice of the naturally occurring trans fats that are in all animal products, and whittling them away from old recipes. “It’s causing problems for every big baker in the country,” wholesale baker Matthew Reich told the Times. “I didn’t even know where to find trans-free margarine.” (Earth Balance! Come on!)

But as always, this is a double-edged sword. If restaurants and food manufacturers want to be completely trans-fat-free, they’ll have to get rid of both trans-fatty animal products and hydrogenated oils. But that doesn’t mean they’ll make those products vegan. Take the Anna’s cookie situation, for example: vegan partially-hydrogenated margarine was replaced with non-hydrogenated margarine containing whey. Trans-fat-free, and not vegan. Unless you’re Kathy Freston.

This is part six of SuperVegan’s “No more trans-fats? But how will I go on?” series on the ban as it affects vegans in New York City (and beyond!). Catch up here.

3 Comments

1. 
   Comment by

   moyesii

   on March 7, 2007 at 11:06 am #

   This may or may not lead to less animal-derived ingredients in our foods, but the article is worth reading just for the priceless reactions of the people from the National Dairy Council and the American Meat Institute. “The whole matter shows that the rules have gone too far, said Greg
   Miller, a spokesman for the National Dairy Council.” Hehe!

2. 
   Comment by

   vegand

   on March 7, 2007 at 3:32 pm #

   So what would be the vegan-advantaged recommendation for bakers going trans-fat free?

3. 
   Comment by

   susie

   on March 7, 2007 at 3:55 pm #

   Earth Balance buttery sticks seem to be the non-hydrogenated vegan margarine of choice among bakers of decidedly yum (& trans-fat-free) stuff.