Following the lead of locations as diverse as Denmark and New York City, British Columbia will be the first province in Canada to restrict the use of trans fats in restaurants.

Restaurants, delis, cafeterias, educational institutions, health care institutions, schools, special events, and bakeries — that is, all food services establishments that require a permit to operate in B.C. — must comply with this new regulation by September 30, 2009.

According to the B.C. Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport, the regulation restricts the trans fat content of oils and margarines to two per cent of total fat and of all other foods to five per cent of its total fat content.

The Vancouver Sun has comments from local restaurateurs here.

Elsewhere in Canada, the city of Calgary had previously instituted a similar trans fat ban, which took effect in 2008. Canada was also the first country in the world to require trans fat content labeling on packaged foods.

Photo by Mykl Roventine (flickr)