California Settles with Frito-Lay and Others Over Acrylamide

Bob Egelko, a staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, in his article "Lawsuit over potato chip ingredient settled", has reported that Frito-Lay and two other companies have agreed to reduce the levels of a cancer-causing chemical as part of a settlement in a state of California lawsuit.

The announcement of the settlement came from Attorney General Jerry Brown. Brown's predecessor, Bill Lockyer initiated the suit three years ago against fast-food chains and potato chip companies stating that they had failed to warn consumers about the dangers of a chemical called acrylamide.

As Egelko goes on to report, Kettle Foods who make Cape Cod Chips and Heinz who make the frozen Ore-Ida products have also agreed to settle. Fast food chains who have agreed to post warnings about the include McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's.

The damages for the offense were two million dollars in court costs and penalties.

The article also advises that Swedish scientists first discovered the effects of acrylamide when browning potato products too much.

So will this make a difference? What is the track record of this type of lawsuit?

It is interesting that right before this settlement, The New York Times published an article that says a new study that the historic hullabaloo over bacon and heart trouble is now believed to be wrong. A couple pieces of crispy bacon will have the effect of "collecting" buildup in your blood vessels.

My state of Illinois was the 12th state to go to court against a group of lawyers who actually wanted to sue restaurants and schools for the obesity of children in 2004. It was found that it was simply a ploy to make more money.

I don't place a lot of faith in lawsuits such as California's lawsuit about acrylamide. First, who gets the penalties? I am guessing California got a little extra income. However, what is the effect of warnings?

A legal trend started in our country when 81-year-old Stella Liebeck sued McDonald's when she removed the lid to a coffee cup and then put the cup between her legs. Make your own decision with respect to her thinking however she earned $2.94 million with her 1994 lawsuit.

This case has become so renowned that annually there are now "Stella Awards".

As LiveLeak.com reports consider the mother who sued a furniture store and was awarded $80,000 for tripping over a toddler who was running in the store; it was her toddler.

Loathe to take your entire day with this monkey business (although it is there to report) I will leave you with the woman who put her new travel home on cruise control and then went to the back of the vehicle thinking it would drive itself. Of course it crashed. She received $1,750,000 and, a new home...and the beat goes on.

It is good that the government is trying to protect us but I don't think there is a great track record for the net results.

References:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/02/BAFE1244HA.DTL
http://moon-pie.blogspot.com/2006/04/new-study-says-bacon-is-good-for-you_01.html
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b4e_1192082416
http://www.consumerfreedom.com/article_detail.cfm/article/159