Toronto health agencies will soon conduct a survey on presence of trans fat food served in local restaurants and sold in supermarkets. Trans fat are used to improve shelf life, texture and taste, of food products but it can create many health problems including heart disease.

Government started a voluntary program in 2007 urging the food industry to reduce trans fats to specified limits within two years. This survey will help officials in deciding the urgency of law to ban trans fat completely like it was done in New York City.

David McKeown, the chief medical officer of health for Toronto Public Health said: "If at the end of the two-year period the federal government does not implement regulations and if there's still a substantial health risk from trans fat in our food system, then we will be looking at local options for regulation."