BOSTON – Boston’s health commission has voted to ban trans fats, giving restaurants and cafeterias a short window of time to stop using all oils and spreads that contain the food preserver.

However, retailers will largely be unaffected by the ban as prepackaged foods such as a bag of chips or cookies won’t be included, the Boston Herald reports.

Boston food businesses will have just six months to stop using trans fat-laced margarines and oil in their foods, while hospitals, schools and eateries will have a year to make the transition.

The vote came after a 90-day public comment period, during which the commission received overwhelming support for their proposed ban. Of the more than 90 comments received, only four opposed the ban, said commission attorney Fatema Fazendeiro.

The fight against trans fats began when public health workers set out to combat the nation’s obesity epidemic. They found that Americans are eating prepared foods like never before and, in the process, ingesting dangerous amounts of the artery-clogging food preserver.

Trans fats are typically used to preserve the shelf life of doughnuts and cakes, and enhance the flavor of french fries and other fried foods.

As awareness grew, many manufacturers stopped using trans fats on their own. Meanwhile, Denmark implemented a national trans fats ban, while New York City, Brookline and now Boston imposed bans on a local level.

After the measure goes into effect, city inspectors will begin visiting restaurants and cafeterias to ensure that they are complying with the ban. Violators will eventually face $1,000 fines for each non-compliance.