The Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine is suing a handful of fast-food restaurant chains that include Burger King Holdings, Inc (NYSE: BKC) and McDonald's Corporation (NYSE: MCD) for serving grilled chicken that they claim is carcinogenic. The PCRM is saying that chicken products from these chains were tested and found to test positive for certain carcinogenic compounds.The Center for Consumer Freedom begs to differ about the PCRM's claims and points out the PCRM is not a mainstream health organization, with one of PCRM's primary aims including making all Americans eat vegetarian. You can see PCRM's website dismissing animal protein as a viable food source here, and if you take the time to wander through the site, it's the only diet ever recommended, making the CCF's claim that the PCRM is a somewhat radicalized PETA/Animal rights group gone a bit far something to take seriously.
There's a further interesting note. The PCRM does not compare regularly grilled chicken from home (ie on your own BBQ grill) to the rates of carcinogens found in the fast food restaurant. It's not a secret that charred food contains a small number of carcinogens in it. PCRM does not say if fast food charring has more than a burnt piece of chicken you cooked yourself or not. PCRM is certainly trying to use scare tactics to alter American eating habits, and its being untruthful (or at least very disingenuous) in its presentation of the issue. A big problem for the fast food chains? No, your stock will probably not be affected by this bogus suit.
But I propose a test. Let's get Morgan Spurlock (of Supersize Me fame) to eat nothing but grilled chicken from fast food restaurants for a month and see how his health is affected...
Tobias Buckell is an author, freelancer, and professional blogger who does not own securities in McDonalds or Burger King.
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Reader Comments (Page 12 of 12)
10-23-2006 @ 3:59PM
Carma said...
BTW, McDonald's food has MSG in it. Thats why it is so addictive. Looks on the food label for "Yeast Extract" thats why it tastes so good.
10-24-2006 @ 11:36AM
Erik von Holstein said...
MC DONNALDS IS MY KIND OF PLACE. HAMBURGERS IN YOUR FACE. PICKLES BETWEEN YOUR TOES. FRENCH FRIES UP YOUR NOSE. AND DONT FORGET ABOUT THE SHAKES. MADE FROM POLLUTED LAKES. MC DONNALDS IS MY KIND OF PLACE.
10-23-2006 @ 6:14PM
SCLandry said...
I quit----living and enjoying anything because it may cause cancer. The air we breathe, the food we eat, the sun shining, the water we drink---what the heck is left???? Can't these dooms-dayers just stop with this and let people enjoy life. Please.....
10-23-2006 @ 6:26PM
Larry said...
PITA is a terrorist organization by definition.
10-23-2006 @ 6:35PM
terry said...
I am 53 , and i remember when i was 6 years old ,in 1959.I came in from out side playing in chicago ill, and the eveing news was ON showing a chicken farm on tv. saying chicken cause cancer .,and by the way i also have a sister that work for years at gold kist. her job was to cut cancer sores off. p.s i dont eat chicken
10-23-2006 @ 10:05PM
Lynn Hethcock said...
The law suit involving Burger King and MacDonalds is
very silly. Like anything else that causes cancer in food we eat, we would probably have to eat a boat load of the stuff for the next 10 years. What a waste of the fast food chain industries' time and effort to defend the obvious. A little meat never really hurt a vegetarian. Get over it!!!
10-23-2006 @ 7:30PM
Martin said...
I like to kill and eat the meat for our family. Last year I got a moose...this year it will be at least a deer and maybe.....just maybe...an elk. Good eating and not alot of fat.
10-23-2006 @ 9:27PM
THE ONE said...
WHAT IS GOOD FOR ONE PERSON CAN KILL THE OTHER, SO DON'T COME WITH THIS NOW! HOW ABOUT MILK? HOW GOOD IS MILK FOR US? WHY ARE WE STILL DRINKING MILK?
10-23-2006 @ 9:35PM
daniel said...
this just makes me hungry, like fast food nation
10-23-2006 @ 11:41PM
m wilkinsom said...
God help us all. I'm sure if they do have cancer causing substances, that these food chains didn't do it on purpose. who in their right mind would? It is now , after being alerted to a problem, these chains should do every thing posssible to correct it. If they don't , then, let's ALL jump up and down and holler about it. Give them a chance.
10-24-2006 @ 12:02AM
PJ said...
READING ABOUT ALL THAT MCDONALDS STUFF MADE ME HUNGRY FOR FRIES AND A CHICKEN SANDWICH.....SORRY ...WE ARE GOING TO DIE FROM SOMETHING AND I AM GOING TO ENJOY THE GOOD THINGS IN LIKE ...SO THUMBS UP FOR MC DONALD'S!!!!!!
10-24-2006 @ 12:11AM
food for thought said...
Why don't we just go back to eating nuts and berries can hurt use maybe if the truck driver that dekiver it pisses on it
10-24-2006 @ 12:12AM
food for thought said...
eat eat eat who cares
10-24-2006 @ 1:04AM
Tina said...
I wish people would stop throwing money away on useless studies - all findings ever suggest is that things that taste good, or make us happy in any way, shape, or form are bad for us. SO why not just leave it at that? All in favor of living forever -we'll see you after the daily 5 mile hike for some plain oatmeal and water. The rest of us will be camped out on the sofa watching Regis and scarfing down a couple of those steak bagels from Mickey D's - after all we wouldn't want them to go bankrupt from all the frivolous lawsuits now would we?? McChicken Rocks!
10-24-2006 @ 3:17AM
PremYogini02 said...
First of all, there probably isn't a mammal alive which isn't having to adapt to or evolve with the environment 'Man' has and is continuously recreating. Next time you visit a dentist, ask her/him; more than likely you'll be told that yes, 'Man' was a carnivore but through the centuries had to evolve. In doing so, the jaws are now smaller and people are having to have teeth pulled in order for all of them to fit into a smaller jaw. Heck...just do a search online and you'll get plenty of information. Keep on searching and you might find enough information about maintaining a healthy body...and then you can make an informed decision on how you want to live your life. Besides...you don't have to be a member of PETA to try to be a vegetarian.
10-24-2006 @ 3:33PM
Linda B said...
Well, as usual, much ado about nothing ! So WHAT ?
People are going to eat what they want, and the "law of supply and demand" will be there for a very long time. Doesn't really matter if you only eat this or that, the bottom line is there has to be a choice in what is available. We are ALL going to die of some-thing or another eventually, and even though we have choices along the way, NO one can guarantee what'll
be our demise. As long as we have choices available to us, we can only try to do the right thing for us!
So rant & rave all you want, but as far as I'm concerned, the more choices the better! To good eats!
10-24-2006 @ 3:33PM
deborah said...
HECK IM A VICTIM OF A MEDICAL MISTAKE AND CANNOT GET MEDIA ATTENTION,AND TO GET IT OVER WHAT PEOPLE WANNA EAT,,HECK MCDONALDS HAS BEEN AROUND FOR YEARS,ITS NOT THE FOOD,,ITS THE WORLD BEING TO CLEAN THAT IS THE CAUSE OF CANCERS,,WE NEED BACTERICA OUR GRANDPARENTS LIVED LONGER THEN OUR NEW GENERATIONS,,LEAVE THE RESTURANTS ALONE,AND FIND SOMETHING SERIOUSE TO MAKE MEDIA ABOUT..LIKE MY SITUATION..THE DOCTORS TOOK OUT THE WRONG ORGAN IN MY BODY BY MISTAKE,,HELP ME GET MEDIA ATTENTION TO THIS TRUE SITUATION...
11-14-2006 @ 11:34PM
Maverick Zero said...
It is a very simple thing people. We are all going to have to deal with some carcinogens and some toxins during our lives. In our modern world there is just no way around it.
I think this think with the grilled chicken is just plain rediculous to say the least. You want to see something that will really harm you come to lewiston, NY. Our whole town is basically one big health hazard. Theres everything from benzene to arsenic in the ground around here.
So i donno about anyone else but I'm gunna keep right on eatin my grilled chicken. Cant mess me up more than this world already has.