10/19/05 Acrylamide frenzy

I read a great take on the whole acrylamide frenzy being fueled by California Attorney General Bill Lockyer. Mr. Lockyer is working to put warning labels put on potato chips and French fries in a move that could hurt our potato growers. Why just French fries and potato chips? It a known fact that acrylamides are found in a myriad of foods, literally from soup to nuts; coffee beans, spinach and asparagus, so why pick on potatoes? The consumer group Consumer Freedom gave this issue a different twist by saying, "Imagine sitting down to a meal at famed California restaurant Chez Panisse, known for it's dedication to organic-only cuisine, only to find this "Warning : Portions of this meal are known to the state of California to cause cancer and /or birth defects" the shoe is now on the other foots. Acrylamides are everywhere, so why pick on fast food restaurants and potatoes? The California Attorney general has opened a can of worms with acrylamides, and they might be the only thing he can eat that doesn't contain them. Source: consumerfreedom.com 9/27/05