LOS ANGELES
- Potato chips and french fries could soon come with a warning
label if the state's top attorney prevails in a lawsuit filed Friday against
nine fast food chains and snack-food makers. Attorney General Bill Lockyer asked for a court order
requiring McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Frito Lay and other companies to
warn consumers that their fries and chips may contain acrylamide, a chemical
the state says causes cancer. "In taking this action, I am not telling people to
stop eating potato chips or french fries," Lockyer said. "I know
from personal experience that, while these snacks may not be a necessary part
of a healthy diet, they sure taste good." But consumers should have the information needed to make
informed decisions about their food, he said. Frito-Lay spokeswoman Lynn Markley said there was no
scientific evidence that acrylamide caused cancer. She said it was
counterproductive for the state to sue the companies when other California
regulators are currently setting standards for the chemical under Proposition
65, which requires companies to notify the public about potentially dangerous
toxins in food. "We have been looking to the state regulators for
direction on how to satisfy Proposition 65 due to the unexpected discovery of
acrylamide in food products," she said. Acrylamide, a byproduct of chemicals and high heat, has
been found at low levels in several foods. The lawsuit focuses on french fries
and chips because they have more acrylamide than other foods, according to the
Attorney General's Office. The state agency setting standards for the chemical, the
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, is considering two potential
approaches, spokesman Allan Hirsch said. The agency might set regulations providing more
specifics about when warnings would be required. Or it might exempt businesses
from placing warning labels on their foods if they agree to reduce the
presence of the chemical to the lowest feasible level, he said. Spokespersons for several defendants based in the
Midwest or East did not return calls for comment Friday. The lawsuit was filed
after business hours in their time zones. Teresa Schilling, a spokeswoman for Lockyer, said that
if the lawsuit was successful, the office would want to sit down with the
defendants to decide how large the warning labels would be and where they
would appear on packaging. "We don't want the warning to be alarming or
excessively large," she said. "We want it to be simple and effective
and (we'll) be flexible about how it will work with each product."
Associated Press August 26,
2005
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