Researchers contend that trans fat -- coveted by cooks for boosting the shelflife and texture of foods -- increases the chance of heart disease. Now it is also giving the restaurant industry higher blood pressure.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), prompted by a consumer advocacy group, is considering whether to force restaurants to place notices in menus or on signs if they are using partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, the trans-fatty-acid-laden ingredient in many fried foods.