The Scare: “Grilled chicken can cause cancer,” according to President of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), Neil Bernard. His comment was made in response to the discovery of a heterocyclic amine, listed as a carcinogen under California law, in samples of grilled chicken from restaurants across California. Heterocyclic amines are formed during the cooking of meat. Their formation is a function of the cooking method and is related to temperature and duration. It occurs at the highest concentrations in grilled chicken. This particular chemical (abbreviated as PhIP) has been known to cause tumors and other adverse health effects when given in high doses to laboratory rodents. (48) In 2006, under the provisions of California’s Proposition 65, the PCRM sued various restaurants including McDonald’s, Burger King, and Outback Steakhouse after samples of their grilled chicken tested positive for PhIP.
Origin of the Scare: PCRM commissioned a laboratory to test grilled chicken products from various restaurants. They found PhIP in the grilled chicken samples from each restaurant where samples were collected.
Under California’s law called Proposition 65, PCRM filed suit against McDonald’s, Burger King, Chick-fil-A, Chili’s, Applebee’s, Outback Steakhouse, and TGI Friday’s in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles. Proposition 65 is a law in California that restricts discharges of listed chemicals into known drinking water sources, although the major activity of Proposition 65 has been in the area of warnings. Under the Act, a clear and reasonable warning must be given prior to a known and intentional exposure to a listed substance. PCRM wants these restaurants to warn their customers that there is a chemical, listed as a carcinogen under Proposition 65, that is present in their grilled chicken.
Media Coverage: PCRM posted notices of the suit on their website and announced it in their online newsletter. It was also picked up by Internet blogs and other websites including Consumerists.com. On PCRM's website, president Neil Bernard completely exaggerated the threat, claiming that just one grilled chicken salad increases a person’s risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer. He also went on to say, “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.”
The Bottom Line: Proposition 65, passed into law by the voters of California in 1986, was created with the intent of improving public health through reductions in the incidence of cancer and adverse reproductive outcomes that might result from exposure to potentially hazardous chemicals. The law strives to reduce human exposure by restricting discharges of listed chemicals into known drinking water sources, although the major activity of the Act has been in the area of warnings.
Proposition 65 places little emphasis on the major known risk factors for human cancer and reproductive toxicity. In contrast, many listed chemicals are included because of effects in laboratory animals, not humans. Data regarding human exposure to PhIP is inconclusive. There is no strong evidence that PhIP causes tumors, cancer, or other adverse health effects in humans. One grilled chicken salad certainly won’t increase a person’s risk of breast or prostate cancer.
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