May 9, 2007
Food Engineering Magazine
http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/CDA/Articles/Manufacturing_News/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000104481

According to a recent LA Times story, Kentucky Fried Chicken will be displaying warning brochures and labels in its California outlets to explain to its customers that its fried and baked potatoes and potato chips may contain acrylamide, a carcinogenic byproduct of the reaction of chemicals in food to high heat. The initiative is part of a 2005 law suit settlement with the state of California.
What levels are dangerous to human health has come into question. According to the EPA, safe levels of acrylamide in public drinking water must be held to less than 0.12 micrograms in 8 ounces. Typical levels of acrylamide in French fries range from 30 to 80 micrograms or more in a serving, says a 2002 report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest. FDA also conducted studies from 2002 through 2006, and the results are posted on its Website.

KFC’s warning explains that the acrylamide is also produced when potatoes are baked or fried at home. In fact, acrylamide is produced in several starch-based foods when they are cooked at temperatures in excess of 250°F. Dr. Elizabeth M. Whelan of the American Council on Science and Health suggests that the problem with the California testing is that “acrylamide in high dose causes cancer in laboratory rodents.” According to Whelan, there is no evidence whatsoever from human observations that acrylamide in foods contributes in any way to the causation of cancer.

According to a FLEXNEWS report, KFC and a dozen other companies—including PepsiCo, Frito-Lay, Burger King and Wendys—were sued in 2005 for allegedly failing to comply with California’s Proposition 65, a 1986 measure that requires businesses to post warnings about dangerous chemicals. KFC will also pay $341,000 in civil penalties.