Proposals to ban trans fats hit blockage in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Banning trans fats in fast food is being slow-tracked in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Proposals to ban trans fats in chain restaurants and other establishments were expected to be introduced by the end of winter, along with caloric labels on menus. Now it looks as if the proposals may not be considered until late this year at the earliest.

"I'm not sure there's going to be appetite for it this year," said Minneapolis City Council Member Ralph Remington, an advocate for the proposals.

The economic slowdown, tight city budgets and pending city elections are slowing the introduction of the proposal in Minneapolis. St. Paul's City Council opted for a go-slow approach that includes surveying restaurants while waiting to see whether Congress acts on the issue.

A slumping economy makes it harder to jack up restaurant license fees to pay for compliance inspections, Remington said. He said he is unsure that enough council members would want to take on the restaurant industry in an election year.

In early March, the St. Paul City Council directed the Safety and Inspections Department to work with the Minnesota Restaurant Association to survey restaurants.

The council also said it supports federal legislation reducing or eliminating trans fats and requiring nutritional information on menus. If Congress doesn't pass such legislation by November, the resolution said, then the city should develop recommendations for local legislation.

Results of the surveys are being analyzed now, Council Member Lee Helgen said, adding: "We want to get some good data to inform the next part of the discussion." So far, Helgen said, it seems the industry is warmer to reducing trans fats than labeling menus.

A number of cities, counties and states across the nation have imposed or explored bans and labels because trans fats are linked to heart disease and elevated cholesterol.

The St. Paul proposal would apply to chain restaurants with at least 15 national locations and would be aimed at foods containing vegetable shortening, margarine or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil.

It wouldn't affect prepackaged foods with nutrition labels. St. Paul's calorie-labeling proposal also would apply only to larger chains and only to standard menu items.

The Minneapolis concept was to apply the trans-fat ban to restaurants, groceries and bakeries, with different phase-in periods for each. Some one- or two-outlet businesses might be exempted.