Restaurants are already reluctant to post calorie counts; can you imagine how hard it is to get fast-food joints to post a skull and crossbones—or at least a warning sign—letting customers know that their grilled chicken contains a carcinogen? It's pretty dang hard—but the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) just got one step closer to making it a reality. A California appeals court just ruled that PCRM can proceed with its lawsuit against fast-food companies that sell grilled chicken without telling consumers that it contains a chemical that's linked to several types of cancer, including breast cancer and prostate cancer.

 

stephendepolo / CC by 2.0
chicken

 

Under California law, businesses must post warning signs when they expose people to chemicals that are known to cause cancer. But get this: Some fast-food companies are countering that the signs should be thwarted because they "contradict" federal guidelines ensuring that food be cooked enough to kill food-borne bacteria.

Comforting, isn't it? It seems that any way you cook it, chicken is a health hazard.

Written by Heather Moore