Thanks a Latte

Having already taken caffeine addiction and the price of a cup of joe to new extremes, Starbucks continues to set new standards by planning to eliminate trans-fats six months earlier than the new ban actually requires them to. Metro-area Starbucks will be knocking trans-fats off of their menus beginning tomorrow and while most of their drinks are already free of the stuff, some of the foods they carry are chock full of `em. The Daily News reports that the pumpkin scone has six grams of trans-fats while their apple fritter has 12, more than an order of McDonald's french fries. The Department of Health proposed the elimination of the coronary-clogging ingredient last September, with the ban passing in December.

In the end, practical concerns over restaurants finding enough alternative oils to replace trans-fats were destroyed by very strong governmental and public support over its removal from local eateries. While we applaud Starbucks' initiative, we have to keep in mind that this isn't going to make their pastries and breakfast sandwiches necessarily any healthier considering they still have a high overall fat content.

Trans-fats have traditionally been found in some margarines, desserts, and fast foods, acting like a preservative allowing food to last much longer. But the downside comes in the fact that they raise the level of bad cholesterol (LDL) in your bodies while lowering the good ones (HDL) that work to rid your body of fatty acids which plug up your blood vessels.

And copyranter noticed childish drawings warning about the ills of trans fats posted in an abandoned SoHo store window. His number one suspect behind the postering? Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden.