Carcinogens in our Fries?
A lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles on Aug. 26th against nine makers of French fries and potato chips: McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, Wendy’s, Cape Cod Potato Chips Inc./Lance Inc., Frito-Lay Inc./PepsiCo Inc., H.J. Heinz Inc., Kettle Foods Inc., and Procter & Gamble Distributing Co. The reason? Because acrylamide, a byproduct of cooking starchy foods at high heat that has been identified as a carcinogen by the state of California, shows up in higher levels in those items than in other foods. The lawsuit states that these companies are violating Proposition 65, which was put into effect in 1986 and “requires businesses to provide ‘clear and reasonable’ warnings before exposing people to known carcinogens or reproductive toxins.” (Restaurant News 9/6/05)
The federal government classifies acrylamide as a “cumulative neurotoxin and a suspected human carcinogen.” It was added to Proposition 65’s list of carcinogens in 1990, but was not discovered to be present in foods until 2002. While other foods do contain this carcinogen, the plaintiffs are citing government studies indicating that “consumers of French fries receive up to 125 times the amount of acrylamide that requires a warning under current regulations.
The attorney general’s office that is filing the suit says that it wants “to find a way to effectively give consumers information about the acrylamide in their products, while at the same time preventing undue public alarm and unnecessary warning signs concerning foods that contain insignificant amounts of the chemical.”
Eek – how do you prevent undue public alarm when you’re talking about carcinogens that we didn’t even know was in our food until 3 years ago? What I’d like to see is someone telling me how much of this stuff must be consumed over what time period for it to become dangerous. BUT, honestly, in a nation full of smokers, are people really going to care?
So far the large chains indicate that they will not bend as a result of the lawsuit. Most responses fall along the lines of “We follow the FDA guidelines” and “Acrylamide naturally occurs in a large number of foods after heating.”
Sooo, in the light of corporate responsibility, are these chains shirking their duties? Obviously the defendants are not the only companies in the U.S. that manufacture potato chips and French fries, so is this another case of Little Guy Nitpicking The Big Guy Whenever He Can? I’m a big fan of receiving information on a need-to-know basis, but I haven’t a clue who gets to decide what I should know and what I shouldn’t.
What do you think? Are there ulterior motives at work here?
Comments
On Dec 5 at 10:21 AM said:
I think all our processed foods have tons of junk that we do not need in our bodies but our government does not care. MONEY is the bottom and top line our health is not on their care list!
On Dec 5 at 10:21 AM said:
Lets be real! Whoever said "french fries" would make you healthy? How about Snickers? How about charbroiled steak? How about strawberry shortcake? How about Crisco?
The truth is, food, almost any food, in moderation represents little problem. Food, any food in excess, represent potential catastrophy. For some, too much bread will be problematic. For some tiny minority, mother's milk will be problematic.
What we have is a society that is driven by the constant incitement of our fears by a press core creating sensational stories from mundane facts.
It's truly sad.
On Dec 5 at 10:21 AM said:
Of course there's carcinogens in our fries. There are also other poisons in our foods. But, how in tarnation do we expect our American Medial Association to survive?
On Dec 5 at 10:22 AM said:
I just want to know what temperature potatoes need to be fried at in order to make the carcinogen. I mean, I don't buy fries or potato chips, really. But I definitely cook my own quite often at home. Anybody know the temp?
On Dec 5 at 10:22 AM said:
People often eat at fast food places for lunch and supper more than once a week. They could be saving money and eat at a nice family resaurant that serves healthy meals. Forget the chain-linked resaurants.
On Dec 5 at 10:22 AM said:
i dont think im going to eat fries any more
On Dec 5 at 10:22 AM said:
Moderation and wisdom is a good thing and after 50 years worth of eating fries and chips I enjoy extremely good health. In consideration of cholesterol my moderation now of course compensates for my youthful indulgences. A good and balanced fiber intake as well as veggies that fight cancer are great for your health in the longrun also. Maybe eating a case a day for 20 years is what they're talking about (reminiscent of all the saccharin given to rats to prove their point).
On Dec 5 at 10:22 AM said:
Ok the reality that any type of fried food have no health to it what so ever. Why the big problem at least 1,000 people a day consume french fries so what's the big deal now? Wouldn't the FDA say something about this before approval for thw opening of the restaruants?
On Dec 5 at 10:22 AM said:
Ok the reality that any type of fried food have no health to it what so ever. Why the big problem at least 1,000 people a day consume french fries so what's the big deal now? Wouldn't the FDA say something about this before approval for thw opening of the restaruants?
On Dec 5 at 10:22 AM said:
Well I think what these people are saying is true. There probobly are some carcinogens in french fries. I am a HUGE fan of french fries and I say that there are probobly suuuuch little tiny itsy-bitsy cute little fuzzy carcinogen molecules that are there. There are probobly enough, that if you had a 10 gallon sized bag filled with french fries, and you ate it in 10 minutes flat, then there might be a 1/500 chance that you would feel a little dizzy (and your stomach would hurt more than the rest of your body). I MEAN COMON!
On Dec 5 at 10:23 AM said:
I am glad that all the american lawyers have not located my physical address yet with so many of them with so much time to generate mountains of law suits. The American Public and economy is being over exposed to toxic levels of litigation (Like a Biblical Plague)driving long time established business and future business in america out of existance. I would expect them to file suite against me for creating a defective human body that starts to die and brake down at an encreasing rate through time depending on of course "What you put in it and evironmental exposures". You have so many other really more important things that are going to get you sooner or later. Lawyers be damned!!! G
On Dec 5 at 10:23 AM said:
There are all sorts of things in foods we eat. Only the individual knows what is good for them. People who are concerned about their health and well being will accept the responsibility for their health and eat the proper foods or learn what foods to eat. I learned early that what individual consumes is what they are, and have tried to eat healthy, haven't always,however that is my business and responsibility and no one else's. I can here it now ACLU defends an individuals right to eat broccoli, because the state says the green is dammaging to inner lining of the skin of the big toe. I have made it to 77+ and it would be in the realm of my own and God's will to continue
On Jan 26 at 09:21 AM Valerie said:
WHAT IS WRONG WITH FRENCH FRIES?? I LOVE THEM!!! NO TOXINS IN MY FOOD IS GONNA STOP ME FROM EATING FOODS LIKE THAT!!!
On Apr 7 at 07:34 AM Me said:
I laughed till I cried. Lets see cranberry sauce back in the 60s caused cancer, now cranberries are good anti toxin. People make me laugh, worry about other things like a piss poor president who is killing us all legally.
On Dec 5 at 12:59 PM glencookie said:
Eggs good!Eggs bad !Eggs good !Eggs bad !How about we stop listening to what people are telling us is good or bad for our bodies and listen to our bodies after we eat!Many people don't realize how sick they get off pork alone and they continue to eat it and can't understand why the next day they feel tired and listless, it is proven that it takes 18 hours for our bodies to process pork products.Wake up and take responsibility for your own body and quit going to the doctor everytime you have the hiccups!
On Dec 5 at 10:21 AM said:
There are insufficient amounts of carcinogens in fried foods to be of any importance except to peolple who do not or will not understand the principles of finite dosages which cause effect.