WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, the Montgomery County Council voted to outlaw partially hydrogenated oils in delis, restaurants and supermarket bakeries, The Washington Post reports. With the ban, scheduled to begin taking effect in January, the county became the first to restrict trans fats.

New York and Philadelphia have passed similar legislation outlawing trans fats from restaurant menus this year and next. Montgomery County's new regulation will affect restaurants, establishments serving food and those offering baked goods. Exempt are packaged goods made outside the county.

The measure provides businesses and nonprofit groups some leeway if finding replacement oils are hard to find. Establishments must post signs alerting customers about the ban or the business's decision to get a waiver to use trans fats up to a year beyond the deadline.

Montgomery County has a broad definition of what it means to be in the business of serving food, given that religious establishments, schools and grocery store salad bars are subject to the county's regulation, the newspaper reports.