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 5 of 12)
9-30-2006 @ 10:23AM
Natalie said...
First of all, there are many reasons to be a vegitarian that have nothing to do with cruelty to animals. I love meat (nothing like a good steak), but feel rancid every time I eat it. Some bodies are not meant to process animal fat and it can be bad for you (I've already had to have my gallbladder removed). But it's individualized and doesn't apply to everyone. As for the McChicken - don't know, don't care - I don't eat there anyway! I would suggest that before everyone dismisses the claim with a cavalier "so what" that you read The Great American Detox Diet by Alex Jamieson (wife of Morgan Spurlock) and then decide what you want to do. It's a great book that talks (in detail) about the effects of the processed food industry. Oh, and one more thing...buyer beware that there are a lot of meats (even at your market) that are packed with hormones and chemicals. So, eat up!
9-30-2006 @ 10:24AM
M.A.Korman said...
PETA and the PCRA should mind their own business. What we are eating or not eating is none of their business. I enjoy eating meat daily and plan to continue while ignoring the silly scare groups mentioned above.
9-30-2006 @ 11:06AM
Lisa M said...
Why are all these bloggers so DEFENSIVE about eating meat... worried about bad karma? Use your own head and heart and stop reacting. Check out HFA.org
9-30-2006 @ 10:29AM
Amy said...
Amanda, Fruitarian??? You are nuts...sorry. I had to laugh. HMMMMM... Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden was full of fruit. God says and I paraphrase, not to PICK the fruit off the Tree of Knowledge. I venture to say, and I am going out on a limb here, all the fruit was picked that they survived on. Also, I am obtaining a master's in nursing and through all my studies I don't remember FRUIT as having a Central Nervous System. I am 99% sure fruit doesn't feel pain.
9-30-2006 @ 10:31AM
Constance said...
Regardless of the fact that this will just be another waste-of-money lawsuit, yes, most people SHOULD change their eating habits and stop feeding their kids garbage like McDonald's, Burger King, KFC etc. No matter where I go anymore, except for the gym ,maybe, the majority of people are overweight and don't have to worry about dying of cancer, because they will most likely die of heart failure or some other weight related complication long before they have time to develop cancer from burnt chicken!
9-30-2006 @ 10:38AM
michael said...
I stopped eating spinach.
9-30-2006 @ 10:38AM
Bonnie George said...
ON THE 15TH OF SEPT. I ATE A CHICKEN BISCUIT AT MCDONALDS, CAME HOME ABOUT 2 HRS LATER STARTING VOMITING,,DID THIS ALL NIGHT LONG, I HAVE BEEN FOOD POSIONED ABOUT 20YRS AGO & KNEW HOW IT FELT...MY HUSBAND TOOK ME TO THE ER AT 7 ON THE 16TH..THEY STARTED IV I WAS DEHRAYTED,,,GAVE ME SHOT TO STOP THE VOMITING...KEPT ME HALF A DAY TIL I COULD DRINK A BOTTLE OF WATER....I WAS DISMISSED AT 12 & EVEN THOUGH A DR MADE THE COMMIT THAT I WAS FOOD POSIONED THEY PUT ON MY DISMISSAL SLIP ACUTE GASTROGASTROIL ,,,WHY DO THEY DO THAT AFTER ADMITTING WHAT I HAD...TO SAVE THEMSELF FROM GOING TO COURT..I KNOW...I AM A 65 YEAR OLD WOMAN WHO WAS THE SICKEST I HAVE EVER BEEN IN MY LIFE...I CALLED MCDONALDS TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAD CALLED ABOUT GETTING SICK THAT DAY & THE MANAGER SAID NO..BUT SHE WOULD REPORT THE INCENDENT TO THEIR INSURANCE...I TOLD HER I WAS NOT A PERSON TO SUE ANYONE I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF ANYONE HAD BEEN AS SICK AS I WAS...I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE...ANWYWAY THE INSURANCE REP CALLED ME & I TOLD HIM IT WAS NOT MY IDEA TO CALL HIM IN THE 1ST PLACE...WHEN I TOLD HIM WHAT MY DISMISSAL SLIP SAID HE BREATHED A SIGN OF RELIEF...THIS IS NOW THEY GET OUT OF THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PEOPLE GETTING SICKK,,HE DID SAY HE WOULD HAVE THIS RESTURANT CHECKED FOR CLEANESS...HUH!!!! DID NOT HELP MY FOOD POSIONING....
9-30-2006 @ 10:40AM
Larry said...
Whats the big deal? If anyone cooks on an outdoor grill all the food cooked will have carcnogens. (From the smoke) I don't see them going after Pizza, The oil they use have the same carcnogens in Pizza. Personaly I think they should be going after the preseratives they are putting in packaged foods. The FDA knew about the Aspertine they were putting in diet soda. But they kept it real quiet when the service men and women in Desert Storm were geting sick from the warm soda. You see in warm temps. that turns into Formaldihide. I think this comming winter, when I get cold, I'll try and ignight the rocket fule they put in food for preservatives. Sorry no spell check for this blog.
9-30-2006 @ 10:41AM
ed said...
K, we get it....life is short, what's the point?
9-30-2006 @ 10:42AM
CharlesLutrick said...
If our ancesters had not become meat eaters we would still be walking on our knuckles and swinging by our tails.
9-30-2006 @ 11:19AM
Teresa said...
I used to love the grilled chicken sandwich from Mc Donalds untill the day I ordered one and bit into it and found it was still raw. About an 1/8 in of it was white on the outside and the rest was nice and pink and squishy on the inside. Talk about gross. It was the most digusting experience of my life. I also happened to be 7 mo pregnant at the time. If they should be sued over anything it should be serving extremly undercooked meat to a pregnant woman. There was another woman there, that I have no acquaintance with, who orderd one at at the same time I did and hers was raw too. I feel sorry for anyone else who ordered one around that time cuz Im sure theirs was raw too. This happened at the Mc Donalds in Azle, TX. If your reading this, and ordered one from there, and bit ino a raw one like I did, maybe we should get together and sue over that. lol
9-30-2006 @ 10:49AM
Chris said...
Did you know that because of living a Vegetarian Diet, the members of the House of David Colony in Benton Harbor, Michigan had an average life span of over 92 years! What a fascinating story, of a group of people who gave up eating meat because of a religious belief, and in turn added to their life span. Just a thought! And this, coming from a person who has been a meat eater their entire life!
9-30-2006 @ 10:44AM
Bill Melton said...
It would take hours to list the chemicals in the food that (does not have to be listed)on the label.So unless you eat completly organic;Take your chances with what you have.
9-30-2006 @ 10:47AM
Bill Melton said...
It would take hours to list the chemicals in the food that (does not have to be listed)on the label.So unless you eat completly organic;Take your chances with what you have.
9-30-2006 @ 10:47AM
Janet said...
We are all born with the cancer cell. Some cells grow in some people.It is not the meat or foods we eat.People have eaten meat since the beginning of time,icluding Christ himself.He once walk this earth among men.Ate the same foods we ate.The pilgrims the indians (known for hunting).It"s all in the genes.The chemicals in our own bodies.I believe that when our day come to die,there is nothing or noone that can stop it.From the day we are born we are on our way to death.It all boils down to if we're meant to die of cancer we will.If were meant to die from another disease,we will.If we're meant to die naturally we will.Or maybe We will die in some kind of accident.I say eat what is suppose to be healthy for though,for weight and colestrol reasonsand other health issues.BUT CERTAINLY NOT BECAUSE OF CANCER!!!!!!!!!!!
9-30-2006 @ 10:48AM
Bethany said...
ok come on...NO organization will EVER get us americans to stop eating fast food...and as for the "don't eat meat" thing, they must be insane.
PETA= PEOPLE EATING TASTY ANIMALS!!! =)
9-30-2006 @ 10:47AM
mrattt said...
PETA=People Eating Tasty Animals
9-30-2006 @ 10:48AM
Shane said...
Fruitarian? Are you serious? We are on the top of the food chain for a reason.
9-30-2006 @ 10:49AM
Ed said...
Hey, Think on this ...How many people have died on the FEAR FACTOR show from what they ate ? WHY hasn't
that been regulated by the government ...
It's all about corrupt attorney's who are now running our govrnment .Yes most everyone in high government positions are attorney's who know how to dance around the truth ... remember ... what ever happened to ... BY THE PEOPLE FOR THE PEOPLE ???
10-01-2006 @ 3:43AM
Judy said...
Okay this comment is for Orchyde (long post)
It's funny how someone whi isn't very knowledgable about the whole thing uses these as their first arguments. The "teeth" thing is always assumed to be PROOF we're Omnis. some people have no sharp teeth, some people only have 2 shart teeth. I for one have 2 very worn down canines thats serve me no purpouse in tearing meat. Sides meat is not the only tough thing to chew!
Also I'm very postitive that a cow would never eat you and saying a "if" a cow would eat you it would. That's stupid considering if anything could eat us they would. So I guess you eat dogs and cats and horses because... if they could eat us... they would (rolls eyes)
Oh and just because we can digest something doesn't make us on top of a food chain. If you think that is the case then maggots would be on the very top. Oh and guess what I'd say about 95% of Americas don't kill there own food they buy it at the store. So unless YOU can go out and kill your own cow with nothing but what Nature gave you (no tools) then yes you would be on top of the food chain.
and obvioulsy you've talked to one person and got all your ideas about PETA from them. Not eveyone who is a vegan or vegi wear and eat things from animals. If were labeling people from one comment they wrote I'm labeling you a moron.
I have nothing agaisnt people who eat meat. My husband does my family does, my friends do. I never hark or yell about don't eat meat!!! I don't because how sloppy it's gotton over the years such as aprroving a virus to be sprayed on chicken to kill another virus. Many other heath reason to. I don't want to start a fight this is for anyone I love meat eaters nothing wrong with them. But I don't agree with factory farming. which is how majority of the meat comes to our houses.