Students who dine at SF State’s City Eats Dining Center may not realize that something is missing from their meals: trans fat.

The dining center banned the use of trans fat six months ago. Now, New York City is trying to pass legislation that would ban the use of trans fat.

The proposed legislation would give New York City’s 20,000 restaurants six months to switch to oils, margarines and shortenings that have less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving. But SF State may be ahead of the game.

Saturated fats, found in animal fats and dairy, raise both good (HDL) and bad (LDL) cholesterol levels, but trans fat – also called partially hydrogenated oil – raises the bad cholesterol and lowers the good cholesterol levels according to Teresa Leu, the registered dietician on campus.

“Trans fat is a vegetable oil that has been processed to make it more solid,” Leu said.

It is found in processed foods, like cookies and crackers, margarine and commercially fried foods. According to Leu, someone who fries food at home starts out with oil, but commercial restaurants might start out with a big brick of trans fat.

SF State’s City Eats Dining Center stopped using oil that contains trans fat last spring after the Center of Science in Public Interest raised concerns about trans fat.

“In response to what we saw would be a growing issue, we made the switch,” Matthew Almeida, director of Residential Dining Services, said.

City Eats Dining Center is part of Chartwells School Dining Services. Switching to trans-fat-free oils and margarines also followed Chartwells Balanced Choice Wellness Regime.

Now City Eats uses a soy-based product for frying, canola oil for general cooking and olive oil for finishing and salads.

“We’re trying to create as many healthy choices as possible,” Almeida said.

Erica Bailey, 18, a freshman BECA major, didn’t know the City Eats Dining Center used trans-fat-free oils.

“I’d definitely eat somewhere that eliminates trans fat,” she said. “I’d rather eat somewhere that I know doesn’t use trans fat than risk it.”

Although City Eats Dining Center no longer uses oils containing trans fat, it doesn’t mean all food at SF State is free of trans fat. Some of the deep fried foods, like the French fries in the Gold Coast restaurants in the student center, are fried in creamy, liquid, fry shortening, which contains trans fat. The Lobby Shops sell processed foods also containing trans fat.

But Sam Oakley, 29, a senior geography major, prefers it that way.

“I don’t think banning it would be a great idea,” Oakley said. “Great tasting food has trans fat.”

But he did recommend the school provide business incentives for restaurants to reduce their use of trans fat.

“That way they would be moving towards banning it without banning it,” he said.

Allam El Qadah, CEO of the Feda Corporation, which runs Café Rosso, Taza Smoothies and Wraps and 19th Avenue Station Café on campus, said his businesses always look carefully at the way they prepare food and the ingredients they use.

“Anything that saves lives is a good step in the right direction,” El Qadah said.