NEW YORK – Yesterday, New York became the nation’s first city to ban artificial trans fats at restaurants. The New York Board of Health, which passed the ban unanimously, did give restaurants a slight break by relaxing what had been considered a tight deadline for compliance.

Restaurants will have to eliminate artificial trans fats from all of their foods by July 2008, MSNBC reports. The ban contains some exceptions; for instance, it would allow restaurants to serve foods that come in the manufacturer’s original packaging.

Restaurant industry representatives called the ban burdensome and unnecessary. “We don’t think that a municipal health agency has any business banning a product the Food and Drug Administration has already approved,” said Dan Fleshler, a spokesman for the National Restaurant Association.

N.Y. Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said recently that officials seriously weighed complaints from the restaurant industry, which argued that it was unrealistic to give them six months to replace cooking oils and shortening, and 18 months to phase out the ingredients altogether.

The panel also passed another measure that has made restaurants unhappy: Some that chose to inform customers about calorie content will have to list the information right on the menu. The rule would generally apply to fast-food restaurants and other major chains.

Sheila Weiss, director of nutritional policy for the restaurant association, said the rule would be a disincentive for restaurants to provide any nutritional information.