Health Minister John Hill will urge his interstate counterparts to support the move at a national meeting later this year.
The "bad fats", which increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes, occur naturally but also are added to such food as cakes, pies and pastries to improve taste and increase shelf life.
Mr Hill said the bans would work in several ways, such as stopping their use in restaurants and fast-food outlets. He said his previous attempts to ban trans fats, also known as trans fatty acids, were stymied by the former federal government. "The SA Government has been leading the way nationally to seek action on trans fats," he said.
"At the next meeting of national food and health ministers I will be raising the issue again with a view to seeking a national approach to banning or controlling these fats.
"I also call on food manufacturers and restaurants to cut trans fats, or label their menu and products if they use trans fats so consumers know exactly what they are eating."
Mr Hill said he was "really hopeful of support at a national level on this really important issue".
Authorities in California recently became the first in the U.S. to ban trans fats in restaurants. Other U.S. states and some European countries have adopted bans of varying types. Trans fats naturally occur in trace amounts in some meats and dairy products.
The trans fats being targeted are those added through a manufacturing process that hydrogenates or hardens liquid vegetable oils.
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