美國加州州長阿諾史瓦辛格於7月25日簽下一法案，規定加州所有餐廳在2010年以前停用對人體有害的反式脂肪（Trans Fats），而烘焙業的禁令在2011年開始實施。
根據這項法條，加州成為美國第一個禁用反式脂肪的州。在2004年時，位於灣區的提布倫（Tiburon）小鎮的18家餐廳聯手，自願停用含有反式脂肪的食用油，該鎮成為美國第一個無反式脂肪的小鎮。紐約市則在2008年7月1號打贏官司之後跟進，被給予三個月的緩衝期。
加州州長簽署的AB97號法案是由一位來在紐華克的民主黨議員門多薩(Tont Mendoza)所提出。
加州人必須在寬限期內停用所有的反式脂肪的製品，不然就必須面對25到1000美元的罰款。
反式不飽和脂肪酸，或是我們平常所稱的反式脂肪，是一種原料為液態植物油，經金屬催化劑與氫反應後形成的固態脂肪。如果產品成分標明上有「部分氫化」（partially hydrogenated）等字樣，代表該產品含有反式脂肪。
人們大量製造反式脂肪因為它將植物油固化，增加了在架上的保存期限。
反式脂肪降低了好的膽固醇（HDL）比例，增加了壞膽固醇（LDL）的含量。它增加了血管硬化或堵塞的機會，擾亂胰島素功能，並帶來第2型糖尿病與其他健康問題。
根據新英格蘭藥學雜誌報導，禁用人工反式脂肪將能夠降低6%-19%的心血管疾病的死亡。
州長表示：「冠狀心臟疾病為加州頭號死因，而這項AB97法案是將反式脂肪此有害物質趕出加州的一大步。」
馬里蘭大學醫學中心的研究指出，較早開始攝取反式脂肪的兒童會比其他人早發生心臟疾病。
研究人員索督絲(Mary Beth Sodus)指出：「若幼童從3、4歲開始固定攝取速食、起司條、炸魚條、蛋糕、餅乾、糖果、微波爆米花等含有反式脂肪的食物，他們將會比沒有吃這種食物的兒童容易得到心臟病。我們的研究發現，有些8到10歲的兒童已經有膽固醇過高與脂肪阻塞血管的症狀，家長可以養成他們健康飲食習慣來降低心血管疾病的風險。」
美國心臟組織指出，反式脂肪應該為美國兩歲以上的人口提供不到1%的熱量。
該組織在2006年的報告中提出了另一飲食習慣的建議，他們希望減少飽和脂肪的攝取比例，從少於10%降到少於7%，並將反式脂肪控制在1%以下。
一個名為「消滅反式脂肪」的團體為此法案慶祝勝利。該組織於2003年為了Oreo餅乾中的反式脂肪控告了Kraft公司，Kraft因此停用了Oreo中的反式脂肪，並減少或停用在其他650種產品中的反脂肪。
費城與波士頓等地也加入了禁用反式脂肪的行列。
As of 2010, no California restaurant will be able to serve foods containing a harmful form of fats called trans fats, under a bill signed into law today by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Baked goods containing trans fats will be banned in California as of 2011.
With this law, California became the first state in the nation to phase out the use of trans fats. In 2004, the 18 restaurants in the Bay Area town of Tiburon voluntarily stopped using trans fats in their cooking oils, making it the first American city to go trans fat-free. New York City followed suit with a trans fat ban that began on July 1, 2008 with a three month grace period.
The governor signed bill AB 97 authored by Assembly member Tony Mendoza, a Norwalk Democrat.
California businesses will have a window period to transition to healthy oils and products that are trans fat free or face fines that range from $25 to $1,000.
Trans unsaturated fatty acids, or trans fats, are solid fats produced by heating liquid vegetable oils in the presence of metal catalysts and hydrogen. If a product's list of ingredients contains the words "partially hydrogenated" the product contains trans fat.
Trans fats are produced commercially in large quantities to harden vegetable oils into shortening and margarine to help extend product shelf life.
Trans fats lower HDL (good) cholesterol and increase LDL (bad) cholesterol. They increase rigidity and clogging of arteries, cause insulin resistance, and contribute to Type 2 diabetes and other health problems.
According to the New England Journal of Medicine, eliminating artificial trans fats from the food supply could prevent between six and 19 percent of heart attacks and related deaths each year.
Coronary heart disease is California's leading cause of death, and AB 97 will be a strong step toward removing this harmful substance from the foods that Californians purchase and consume, said the governor.
Research conducted at the University of Maryland Medical Center suggests that children who consume trans fats early in life will develop heart disease sooner than other children.
"Children who start at age three or four eating a steady diet of fast food, pop tarts, commercially prepared fish sticks, stick margarine, cake, candy, cookies and microwave popcorn can be expected to get heart disease earlier than kids who are eating foods without trans fats... Some of our research here at the University of Maryland has shown that kids as young as eight, nine and 10 already have the high cholesterol and blood fats that clog arteries. By starting healthy eating habits early, parents can help their children avoid heart attacks and stroke," said researcher Mary Beth Sodus.
According to the American Heart Association, trans fat should make up less than one percent of calories for Americans over two years old.
"Another major change in the dietary recommendations is a lower goal for saturated fat - from less than 10 percent to less than seven percent - and establishing a goal for trans fatty acids of less than one percent of total calories," the American Heart Association said in a 2006 statement.
The advocacy group Ban Trans Fats is declaring victory. The group started the move to ban the unhealthy fats with a lawsuit against Kraft Foods in 2003 to eliminate trans fat in Oreo cookies. As a result, Kraft eliminated trans fat from Oreos and reduced or eliminated it in about 650 other products.
Now several communities have jumped onto the ban trans fats bandwagon, including Philadelphia and Boston.
全文及圖片詳見：ENS
作者
In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
