Customers line up to place their orders at the McDonald's restaurant in Martell, which has changed its menu to reflect a growing health consciousness.

Legislation signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last month has made California the first state in the nation to ban all synthetic trans fats in restaurant and retail food establishments.

The legislation will take effect Jan. 1, 2010 for oil, shortening and margarine used in spreads or for frying. Restaurants could continue using trans fats to deep-fry yeast dough and in cake batter until Jan. 1, 2011. Violations could result in fines of $25 to $1,000. Food items sold in their manufacturers' sealed packaging would be exempt.

In Amador City, the Imperial Hotel's restaurant already snubs trans fats in favor of all natural ingredients, according to owner Mary Ann McCamant, a supporter of the recently passed legislation.

"We use only butter and olive oil, no trans fats," she said. "We also use no prepackaged items, so it is no problem for us."

Locally, Kimberly Andrae, owner of Andrae's Bakery in Amador City, said her shop also only uses all natural ingredients in its products. She called the legislation a "good thing."

"We have always cooked this way - no artificial preservatives and all natural local olive oils and butter," she said. "I stay away from trans fats even in the grocery store."

Trans fats occur naturally in small amounts in meat and dairy products. Most trans fats are created when vegetable oil is treated with hydrogen to create baked and fried goods with a longer shelf life. Both trans fats and saturated fats increase the levels of bad cholesterol and the risk of heart disease, according to the American Heart Association.

Stephen Joseph, a Tiburon attorney who was a consultant to New York City in developing its ban, said trans fat is a larger health risk than saturated fat because it reduces so-called good cholesterol.

A 2006 review of trans fat studies by the New England Journal of Medicine concluded there was a strong connection between consumption of trans fats and heart disease. Studies also have linked trans fats to diabetes, obesity, infertility in women and some types of cancer.

Trans fats are like cigarettes, with no safe level of consumption, said Jeffrey Luther, a Long Beach doctor who is president of the California Academy of Family Physicians.

He said the California law, "when it finally takes effect, will be a tremendous benefit."

While Sutter Creek residents Gary and Judy Richter tout their health consciousness - they only shop for items without hydrogenated oils and watch all of their fat intake carefully, they say - the couple viewed the new law as an infringement on their rights.

"No one should be told what they can and cannot do for their own health," Judy said. "It's almost as if the government wants to regulate everything anyone does. It should be a matter of choice if you choose to eat trans fats."

The California Restaurant Association opposed the bill. Spokesman Daniel Conway said the federal Food and Drug Administration rather than individual states should be developing regulations on trans fat use.

He said, however, that the association has no plans to challenge the law, in part because restaurants already are phasing out trans fats to satisfy customers. Several major fast-food chains have announced that they have eliminated trans fats from their menus or intend to so do in the near future.

"We're confident that California restaurants can meet the mandates of the bill," Conway said.

Kathleen Bannan, manager of corporate social responsibility at McDonald's, said she is acutely aware that people have negative views of the fast food giant, but said her company has found the solution to trans fats for the customers.

"We have developed the right cooking oils for our restaurants," she said in an e-mail. "It delivers the same classic taste our customers love with none of the trans fats. It's a seamless transition."

The conversion to a canola oil blend at McDonald's now has all fried items rated at zero grams of trans fat, including French fries, hash browns, all chicken choices and the filet-o-fish sandwich. The company's baked goods have also been reformulated to offer zero trans fats. McDonald's also now offers fruits and milk with kids meals to address the growing obesity epidemic, Bannan said.

"I allow my own children to order McFlurrys and Happy Meals," she said. "Mostly, they order them with the apple dippers and milk simply because they like them."

New York City, Philadelphia, Seattle, Baltimore and Montgomery County, Md., have ordinances banning trans fats, but California is the first state to adopt such a law covering restaurants, said Amy Winterfeld, a health policy analyst for the National Conference of State Legislatures.

California and Oregon already had laws banning trans fats in meals served at schools, she added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.