Illinois takes step toward banning trans fats

Illinois restaurants may soon have to find a way to cut artificial trans fats from French fries, onion rings, popcorn shrimp, pies, cakes and fried chicken.

Legislation that passed the Illinois House on Wednesday would ban artery-clogging trans fats in food served in restaurants, movie theaters, cafes and bakeries or sold in school vending machines, starting in 2013. School cafeterias would be affected in 2016. Most prepackaged food would not be covered.

If the Senate approves the bill and Gov. Pat Quinn signs it, Illinois will be only the second state to enact such a ban. The first was California.

"Health problems cost our state so much money, and if we can use prevention to keep people out of emergency rooms and keep them healthy, this is a step in that direction,"said sponsoring Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago.