Carcinogen Found in KFC's New Grilled Chicken

Well for those that are KFC's lovers this one is not good news for you, and to tell that I even tasted the new Grilled Chicken myself, but I didn't like it a bit.

For once the Chicken didn't look anything like the one advertised, it was skinny low grade quality and while the taste was "OK" it was not what I expected.

But I never expected to be contaminated with carcinogens.

WASHINGTON—Tests of KFC's new Kentucky Grilled Chicken have revealed substantial amounts of a carcinogenic chemical in all samples tested, according to a report released today by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), which is asking KFC to withdraw the product from sale.

www.pcrm.org...

Even Oprah was giving free coupons to this new grilled chicken.

The new KFC grilled chicken products were the focus of a controversial promotion by Oprah Winfrey, who offered coupons for free Kentucky Grilled Chicken meals on her Web site. PCRM has alerted Ms. Winfrey to these findings.

Don't eat the Chicken.

[edit on 2-7-2009 by marg6043]

Well I was going to try this later tonight or tomorrow but now I dont think I will. Thanks for the warning.

We tried it. It sux. (Well ... my 13 year old loved it.)
My husband and I thought it was a greasy low quality mess.
Definatley nothing we'd try again - with or without the carcinogens.

Will you please stop panicking over nothing.

There are carcinogens in all grilled meat. Actually - there are carcinogens in almost everything you eat and drink. Carcinogens are ubiquitous to the environment. Grilling is a process of applying high heat to organic material. The process creates carcinogens.

This is nothing but scare mongering - note that the article does not specify what "significant" means. They did the tests, why not publish the concentration of carcinogens. What concentration is "significant". Considering that standards for ingestion have not been established, how do they know what is significant and what isn't.

Further, how much of this chicken do you intend to eat. One piece a month? One piece a day? A truckload a day?

There is a very very old and very true piece of advice for putting articles like this into perspective. its "the dose makes the poison". For example - arsenic is common in many many foods that we eat. Everyone knows that arsenic is poisonous - so how come we don't fall over dead after eating common foods like potatoes? Because arsenic in trace amounts is absolutely necessary for normal body function and we can't enough food contaminated with trace amounts of arsenic to reach levels that are poisonous.

Any bets that if we trace the funding for this study, we will find that funds were provided by some lobby group disguised as a charity that has an economic interest in some competitor of KFC OR that the same charity is seeking government or public funding in order to "protect the food consumer".

Its the same trick used by anti-tobacco activists to convince people that second hand smoke is more hazardous than Sarin Gas.

Above all - never put an actual number next to anything so that people can see what you are talking about.

Tired of Control Freaks.

Oh I see what this is!

The PCRM are part of the new anti-obesity lobby groups hoping to be able to sue FAST FOOD in the exact same way that anti-tobacco sued Big Tobacco and the lawyers get billions of dollars out of the deal.

This is absolute freaking garbage journalism used to sway public opinion.

Oh By the way - did you notice that they didn't grill a piece of chicken in an oven or on a BBQ, test it and compare the results to the KFC grilled chicken.

There are awfully big bucks to be made if you can scare people enough. The bigger the lie, the more it will be believed.

Tired of Control Freaks.

reply to post by TiredofControlFreaks


Yes you are right, but is certain grades of carcinogen in meat and then is higher grades of carcinogen in meat, and this type of chicken from KFC's tested for the highest.

I am very well aware of how meat cook at higher temperatures release carcinogens.

Just beware that for some reason this Chicken happen to test higher.

Real Americans choose to take in poisons into their body, its the American way. I expect there to be 50,000 toxins in my drinking water, and if their isn't I'm wholly disappointed. In fact, I'll go out of my way to blend up some disposed material from Dupont to supplement my diet if its too "clean". You've all heard about how when things are too clean they're bad for ya, so do the American thing and dump some chemicals on your and your child's cereal. Blended up Teflon has done wonders for my figure, don't have to bathe now either.

[edit on 2-7-2009 by ghaleon12]

Dear Marg 6043

Please explain how you know that KFC chicken tested higher for carcinogens that chicken grilled at home? It wasn't in the article. How do you have this special knowledge. Could it be that you are actually a plant on ATS trying to stir up more panic and get more funding?

Here is a link for carcinogens formed when meat is grilled:

www.ahc.umn.edu...

When reading this article there is a quote of increased risk of pancreatic cancer from consuming grilled meats. These types of "increased risk" has to be put in perspective.

First you need to know what the risk of pancreatic cancer is. I don't know for sure and can't be bothered to look it up but I am betting that it is actually quite low.

From WIKI:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Pancreatic cancer
Classification and external resources
ICD-10 C25.
ICD-9 157
OMIM 260350
DiseasesDB 9510
MedlinePlus 000236
eMedicine med/1712
MeSH D010190

Pancreatic cancer is a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. Each year in the United States, about 42,470 individuals are diagnosed with this condition and 35,240 die from the disease.[1] The prognosis is generally poor; less than 5 percent of those diagnosed are still alive five years after diagnosis. Complete remission is still extremely rare.[2] About 95% of exocrine pancreatic cancers are adenocarcinomas (M8140/3). The remaining 5% include adenosquamous carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas, and giant cell carcinomas.[3] Exocrine pancreatic cancers are far more common than endocrine pancreatic cancers (islet cell carcinomas), which make up about 1% of total cases.[4]

Now the united states has a population of 300 million people. So the risk is 42,470/300 million or 0.0004 %. So "double the risk" means 0.0008 %

Not anything that you should be so concerned about that it guides your life decisions and your diet.

Now to balance this propaganda piece -you need to consider what the risk is of other cooking methods ie increased fat intake causing heart attacks.

PUt this article in perspective. If you enjoy KFC grilled chicken, it might very well be the best nutritional choice for you. If you don't enjoy it - don't eat it. But don't go off half-cocked over this little piece of propaganda. Or the next thing you know, this group will be lobbying government to ban this type of cooking in a public place (carcinogens in the air) and demanding that people who eat grilled meat pay extra taxes in order to pay for their (increased health care costs) and suing Fast Food for thier illnesses (with the consumer picking up the tab of course)

Tired of Control Freaks.

reply to post by marg6043


The chicken i got was plump, juicy, and outstanding in every possible way. I keep meaning to go back....but haven't yet.

Doesn't surprise me to find carcinogens in it. When you grill anything, the "grill marks" and charred parts contain carcinogenic compounds, too.

Because arsenic in trace amounts is absolutely necessary for normal body function

Being a health professional, I'm curious about that statement since I've never heard any specific role arsenic plays in health. I've certainly never heard of arsenic deficency. If you can post something I'd be curious to read about it.

Really though, people should just stop eating out. If you want to be healthy, carcinogens or not, don't eat out at fast food places. People will say it depends on the frequency, but its like smoking. I don't even want one cig. Just imagine 16 year olds cooking your food and putting in various organic materials from their body into it, sort of turns a person off.

I don't have anything against dining occasionally, but enough of this McDonalds, Burger King crap. If you're going to go out, spend some money and go to a nice place.


[edit on 2-7-2009 by ghaleon12]

Here are a few facts from M.D. Anderdson's website that you all may find interesting.

Grilling any type of meat, even chicken or fish, until it’s charred or burned can increase your chances of getting cancer

www.mdanderson.org...

* Grill fish instead. Fish contains less fat than meat and poultry do, making it less likely to create PAH-carrying smoke and flare-ups caused by dripping fat. Fish also requires less time on the grill, reducing its exposure to carcinogens.

* Precook your foods. The higher the temperature at which food cooks and the longer it stays on the grill, the more HCAs develop. Partially cooking meat or poultry indoors for two to five minutes draws out most of the potentially harmful chemicals without sacrificing moistness. Heat your meat up in the microwave or oven, and then finish it on the grill.

* Lightly oil your grill. A little oil keeps charred material from sticking to the food. It also helps keep fish and chicken in one piece.

* Lower the heat. On charcoal grills, increase the distance between the food and the hot coals by spreading the coals thin or by propping the grill rack on bricks. On gas grills, just lower the settings.

* Stick to charcoal and hardwood. Barbecue briquettes and hardwood products, such as hickory and maple burn at lower temperatures than softwood (pine) chips.

* Clean your grill. Scrub your grill thoroughly after every use to avoid a buildup of carcinogens that can be transferred to your food the next time you grill.

* Spread aluminum foil on the grill. This will reduce flare-ups. Just make sure to make small holes in the foil to allow fat to drain.

* Flip meat frequently. This reduces the amount of carcinogens that arise.

* Marinate your food. Marinating not only makes grilled foods taste better, but makes them safer because marinades draw out chemical precursors of carcinogens

www.mdanderson.org...

reply to post by ghaleon12


You know I have become very aware of what I eat, where it comes from and how is produced and feed.

I am a meat eater but can got many weeks without meat I have trained myself into that.

But I find very ironic that our government due to the big multibillion dollar industry that has become the fast food and the food industry can allow so much to be passed into the consumer in the name of profits.

Like you say many of our baby formulas and baby food manufacturers used GMO in their products.

And people doesn't realized what they are feeding their babies with, just because the brand names are so well known and trusted, yes they were back in the days when they started but in the last 20 years they have become nothing but testing ground for the food suppliers and GMO manipulation.

reply to post by TiredofControlFreaks


Hey don't attack the messenger just take the thread and make your own opinion, mine is don't eat the chicken plain and simple.

Still,

A PCRM scientist visited six different KFC stores, obtained two samples from each location, and sent them to an independent testing laboratory. All 12 samples were found to contain PhIP, a chemical classified as a carcinogen by the federal government. PhIP, part of a chemical family known as heterocyclic amines (HCAs), has been linked to several forms of cancer, including breast cancer, in dozens of scientific studies. No safe level of ingestion has been identified. Every sample also tested positive for at least one additional type of HCA.

have fun.

Sorry Marg6043 You have failed to explain how you know the KFC chicken tested higher than other grilled chicken. I would suggest you have been "outed" as a plant

To the poster who enquired about the role of arsenic in healthy body function:

www.tjclark.com.au...

It is very difficult to suffer from arsenic deficiency. Arsenic comprises a component of soil. Plants uptake the arsenic. Its in our food. Its in the air in the form of dust. Its in all sources of water. We eat it, inhale it and drink it every single day.

www.best-home-remedies.com...

And yet - it is well known poison.

This underscores the point I was making - the dose makes the poison.

As for the poster who wouldn't want even 1 cigarette. It might surprise you to learn that smoking tobacco is an important source of niacin (that is vitamin B3). Its benefits include stress reduction, mental focus, mood elevation and pleasure. Smokers have been shown to suffer less MS, Parkinsons, irritible bowel syndome and for people with mental disorders like manic/depression and schizophenia, smoking has been shown to decrease symptoms of these diseases.

Again - you need to weigh the risks vs benefits as they pertain to you as an individual.

Learn how to think and you won't be falling for the fear mongering that these types of press releases are meant to create.

For god's sake people - we are living longer, healthier lives than have ever been lived before - and yet you all insist on living in fear.

Well - don't worry about it. Big Pharma (who provides alot of the funding for these groups will have a pill to sell you to protect you from the carcinogens in food very very soon)

By the way -these carcinogens have always been in grilled meat, even when the cave men were cooking it over the fire. And yet the human race survived.

Tired of Control Freaks.

carcinogens are found in all foods that are grilled. It is the carbon changing process of grilling that creates it. That is why they say to keep grilled foods at a minimum.

reply to post by TiredofControlFreaks


No, I have not failed, just those that doesn't want to see are those that can never comprehend what our food industry has become.

But that is your choice and I will never stop you from eating your chicken my dear.

juicy and plump like you like it, mine was skinny, greasy and lacking.

reply to post by marg6043


for me, it's not a matter of shooting the messenger, it's a matter of shooting the message to pieces. i know you probably posted because you felt you have valid concerns.

when i googled "PhIP" the first result for the chemical states

There is inadequate evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of PhIP.

source

so "no safe level identified" probably should read "because the chemical hasn't been shown to be a carcinogen in humans." i think they're deliberately being misleading.

not that i think you should eat out of KFC, you probably shouldn't, but i don't think the way to convince anyone is by being misleading.

HCA's seem to be a by-product of cooking meat to the point where it chars, saying there is a carcinogen in this type of cooked chicken means as much as saying there is a carcinogen in marlboro's.

Originally posted by TiredofControlFreaks
Sorry Marg6043 You have failed to explain how you know the KFC chicken tested higher than other grilled chicken. I would suggest you have been "outed" as a plant

planted by KFC in 2004, she watched from the shadows as they slowly unveiled their plans for world domination through the finger licking goodness of the cancer burger, mwahaahaa. she'ld stop those pesky ATS'ers from outing them.



[edit on 2/7/09 by pieman]

reply to post by nixie_nox


Bingo !!!! but when you are eating food that is not cook by you then this what can happened, over processed chicken that is sold to you as the best healthy choice you can have.

That is misleading and false.

At least Berger King comply with the advertising methods and now have a warning that their food have harmful ingredients that can cause cancer.

The FCC also has told KFC's to stop their advertisement using the world "eat" because it violates the rules that KFC's food is the best thing for consumption.

"KFC's claim that its fried offerings have 'that taste you'll just love to eat' is in direct violation of federal regulations," acting FCC chairman Michael Copps said. "The word 'eat' is legally permissible only in reference to substances appropriate for human consumption. Any implication that a consumer could or should 'enjoy' a KFC Crispy Strip fails to meet these standards, and presents an unlawful deception to consumers."

current.com...



Well with all that I made my case.

[edit on 2-7-2009 by marg6043]

reply to post by pieman


Hey I am still in one piece and kicking, I love a good debate and no matter what the information does raise concern and is nothing wrong with it.



[edit on 2-7-2009 by marg6043]

I'm glad to say that I have rarely eaten KFC (and then not for many years) I have never had a big mac, or the BK equivalent, and never will.

IMO these fast food outlets (and others) are responsible for the looming health crisis in the western world.

For the first time we are going to faced with a generation where the parents outlive their children.

Stay away from all that rubbish, except VERY occasionally would be my advice - I'd go so far as to say once a month is too much...