In This Article
Subscribe to Health Updates
Food Manufacturers to Cut Carcinogen Levels in Chips, Fries
August 04, 2008 04:42 PM
Food manufacturers in California have agreed to phase out acrylamide, a carcinogenic compound found in potato chips and french fries.
30-Second Summary
A 2005 lawsuit from the state of California against food manufacturers H.J. Heinz Co., Frito-Lay, Kettle Foods Inc., Lance Inc. and fast-food restaurants like McDonald’s, Burger King and KFC has driven some food producers to look for new ways of preparing their products.
California sued food manufacturers for violating a law that requires companies to post warning labels on products with carcinogens. According to MSNBC, “The companies avoided trial by agreeing to pay a combined $3 million in fines and reduce the levels of acrylamide in their products over three years.”
The chemical acrylamide, which naturally occurs when carbohydrates are cooked at high temperatures, has been associated with cancer and can be found in french fries, potato chips and some breakfast cereals.
Traces of acrylamide can also be found in breads, olives, asparagus, coffee and prune juice; however, the former California Attorney General, who presided over the lawsuit in 2005, asked that the chemical be addressed in potato products only.
Lawsuits against McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, KFC and Procter & Gamble Co. were settled after the companies agreed to label their products for acrylamide.
California sued food manufacturers for violating a law that requires companies to post warning labels on products with carcinogens. According to MSNBC, “The companies avoided trial by agreeing to pay a combined $3 million in fines and reduce the levels of acrylamide in their products over three years.”
The chemical acrylamide, which naturally occurs when carbohydrates are cooked at high temperatures, has been associated with cancer and can be found in french fries, potato chips and some breakfast cereals.
Traces of acrylamide can also be found in breads, olives, asparagus, coffee and prune juice; however, the former California Attorney General, who presided over the lawsuit in 2005, asked that the chemical be addressed in potato products only.
Lawsuits against McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, KFC and Procter & Gamble Co. were settled after the companies agreed to label their products for acrylamide.
Headline Link: Food manufacturers to phase out acrylamide
H.J. Heinz Co., Frito-Lay, Kettle Foods Inc., and Lance Inc. have agreed to develop potato chips and French fries with reduced levels of acrylamide, a carcinogen, according to a settlement from a lawsuit brought against them in 2005 by the state of California.
Source: MSNBC
Background: California sues over carcinogenic foods in 2005
In 2005, California sued fast food chains and food manufacturers for improper labeling of foods that contain the cancer-causing ingredient acrylamide, citing the manufacturers’ violation of the state’s Proposition 65, which requires written warnings about the presence of carcinogens.
Source: The Times of London
Reference: Foods containing acrylamide
Acrylamide is a substance that occurs naturally when high-carbohydrate foods are cooked at high temperatures. The FDA offers charts of foods that contain high levels of acrylamide.
Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Related: Health concerns in prepared and packaged foods
Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a law ordering all restaurants to eliminate the use of trans fats by Jan. 1, 2010 across the state. “The switch to healthier cooking oils seems to be part of a nationwide movement as health officials attempt to hold restaurants accountable for providing accurate nutritional information and healthy choices to customers,” findingDulcinea reported, citing earlier bans on trans-fat cooking methods in Philadelphia and New York.
Source: findingDulcinea
Perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, is a chemical present in food packaging, including the packaging for microwave popcorn and frozen pizza. “The Environmental Protection Agency considers [PFOA] potentially carcinogenic and wants businesses to voluntarily stop using [it] by 2015,” the Los Angeles Times reports. According to the article, “the chemical doesn’t break down and thus accumulates in the system over time.”
Source: Los Angeles Times (free registration may be required)
© 2009 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
