[Retired Tech]

A US doctors' group has sued seven of the leading fast-food chains including Chick-fil-A, Chili's, Applebee's, Outback Steakhouse, TGI Friday's McDonald's and Burger King over their use of a "dangerous carcinogenic" in grilled chicken.

The Washington-based Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) filed suit in California "to compel the restaurants to warn unsuspecting consumers".

The group said every sample of grilled chicken products from the seven national chains "tested positive for a dangerous carcinogenic compound called PhIP" during analysis at an independent laboratory.

PhIP is one of a group of carcinogenic compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) that are found in grilled meat. In 2005, the US government officially added HCAs to its list of cancer-causing agents, the doctors' group said.

"Grilled chicken can cause cancer, and consumers deserve to know that this supposedly healthy product is actually just as bad for them as high-fat fried chicken," PCRM president Neal Barnard said in a statement.

"Even a grilled chicken salad increases the risk of breast cancer, prostate cancer and other forms of this lethal disease," he said.

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Chili's, Applebee's, Outback Steakhouse, TGI Friday's

have you ever eaten at one of these places? how in the world they can sleep at night listing these places as "fast food" i'll never know..

i don't think the companies should be sued for serving grilled chicken...i mean...the studies that have shown the grilled meat cancer connection...are pretty new...most people in the public have no idea about it...

[dsenette]

Chili's, Applebee's, Outback Steakhouse, TGI Friday's

have you ever eaten at one of these places? how in the world they can sleep at night listing these places as "fast food" i'll never know..

i don't think the companies should be sued for serving grilled chicken...i mean...the studies that have shown the grilled meat cancer connection...are pretty new...most people in the public have no idea about it...

[warriorscot]

I suppose it depends on wether the compounds are in normal grilled chicken or just the stuff from the places listed if its just them then they should be for not taking measures to ensure that all products were tested as soon as it was discovered and found to be harmful however if its just grilled chicken as a whole or chicken from certain places then i cant really see how it would be their fault. Is there anymore information on this i would be interested to know.

[dsenette]

it's technically all grilled meat...if you grill meat..it becomes carcinogenic
http://www.cancer.or...illed_Meats.asp

something about the creatinine

[admin]

Last I read, ANY meat grilled to the point where any of it's blackened is a potential carcinogen. Pan frying and broiling until blackened will do the same. Those in the know recommend slow cooking, and not exceeding a brown color anywhere on the exterior of the meat.

However, I don't think it's ever been a proven carcinogen in people, and most evidence points to it not being (comparing cooking styles/cancer rates).

Next they'll be suing the grill, propane and charcoal manufacturers.

If they really want to make a positive affect on the food industry, do as they have done some places in Europe and ban trans fat from cooking oils.

[Retired Tech]

New York health authorities want to force the city's 20,000 restaurants to drastically slash the amount of artificial trans fat used in kitchens, warning it causes heart disease.

The Health Department proposed for public comment Wednesday a health code change that would give restaurants six months to switch to oils, margarines and shortening that have less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving.

Restaurants would have 18 months to make sure all food items contain less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving.

"New Yorkers are consuming a hazardous, artificial substance without their knowledge or consent," Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said in a statement.

"Trans fat causes heart disease," he said. "While it may take some effort, restaurants can replace trans fat without changing the taste or cost of food. No one will miss it when it's gone."

A final decision on the code change could be made in December. Adoption of the new health code would be a first for a US city. Chicago is also considering banning trans fat.

The Health Department launched a campaign in August 2005 calling on restaurants to voluntarily limit the amount of trans fat, but while some establishments reduced or stopped using it overall use did not decline, it said.

"If New Yorkers replace all sources of artificial trans fat, by even the most conservative estimates, at least 500 deaths from heart disease would be prevented each year in New York City," Walter Willett, the chairman of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health, said in the department statement.

Trans fat, which is made when manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil, increases "bad" cholesterol levels, raising the risk of coronary heart disease, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Since 2006, the FDA has required that trans fat be listed on food labels.

[admin]