Class Action Claims French Fries, Snack Chips Boost Cancer
LOS ANGELES (CN) – You want cancer with that? Wendy’s, KFC and HJ Heinz Co. made and sold to the public French fries containing acrylamide, a carcinogen, Environmental World Watch claims in Superior Court. In a separate suit, it accuses Procter & Gamble and Frito-Lay of the same violations. Plaintiff claims the defendants in the first case violated state and federal laws by failing to inform the public that the Ore-Ida brand potatoes used in their French fries were treated with the chemical. P&G is accused of putting the chemical without warnings in its Pringles chips and Snack Stacks, and Frito-Lay of putting it in its Fritos chips and Tostitos tortilla chips.Acrylamide is listed under California’s Prop. 65 as a possible carcinogen that requires public warnings to be posted at outlets where products containing it are sold, the complaint states.
Details here from Courthouse News Service.
Comments
Hmm, it will indeed be interesting to see this claim’s outcome. Some random research that I’ve found states that Acrylamide is, in fact, a natural reaction from the cooking process and not an additive. In fact, if you check the WHO’s official position, it states:
"There is currently little information about, and poor understanding of, how acrylamide is formed in foods. It appears to be produced naturally in some foods that have been cooked or processed at high temperature and the levels appear to increase with the duration of heating. The highest levels found so far were in starchy foods (potato and cereal products). Further research is needed to explain why acrylamide forms in food as well as the conditions that promote or reduce its presence in food."
Fascinating. Moderation when eating foods seems to be the key to their advice, like all things. Either way, certainly looks like its being addressed and the results will affect this claim’s outcome.
Posted by: Bison | August 5, 2005 12:31 PM