Fries & Cancer

The article that caught my eye said California AG Wants Warning Label on Fries. Ah, so are they going to address the problem of frying and how it can clog the arteries? I wondered.

But no. This is about the possibility that you might be ingesting some carcinogen when you eat french fries and potato chips. Who's going to listen to that? These days, you can get cancer from eating or drinking just about anything -- including fresh foods (sprayed with chemicals).

I read a little further, past all the scoffing by the companies that make french fries and potato chips. The chemical in question, Acrylamide, was originally thought to come from processed packaging. It's also used, ewwwww, to treat sewage. It turns out, though, that this toxin occurs in low levels when you fry certain starchy foods...like french fries and potato chips.

Ah well. It's not like these two things are on my menu list anymore anyway.

I just wonder if a warning on the label would really be a deterrent? After all, how many smokers even look at the AG's warning label on a pack of cigarettes?