If you're at all skeptical a trans fats ban is doable and enforceable, consider how well a nation-wide ban is working in Denmark. Enacted two years ago, the ban requires food makers to limit the amount of trans fats contained in a food product to no more than 2 percent, at the risk of huge fines and even jail time.
No surprise, this one appears to be working. For one, the rate of obesity in Denmark, like most other countries, is still growing but at a far slower clip (only half as much as in the UK at 11.4 percent). And, more importantly, most consumers can't tell the difference in the foods they're eating.
Yes, there was a short-lived "crisis" among manufacturers in the European Union because some foods couldn't be imported to Denmark and chefs at world renown places like the La Glace cafe who had to start experimenting with trans fat-free substances to achieve the same textures and tastes for its cakes and pastries.
The only people "harmed" by the trans fats ban, according to a Danish medical expert who lobbied for the law: Those unfortunate professionals who have to sell it. Makes you wonder why a company the size and economic wherewithal of McDonald's can't make trans fat-free French fries...
Yahoo News October 16, 2006