Hong Kong Consumer Council and Center for Food Safety in Hong Kong has issued the result of an inspection on food safety which lists the potato products at McDonald's and KFC in its list of cancer-causing products.
After testing 103 kinds of snacks, the inspection shows that the french fries at these fast food chains contain the most acrylamide, which may cause cancer. Representatives from McDonald's and KFC have not made any comment on these issues.
The chemical compound acrylamide (acrylic amide) is a white odorless crystalline solid, soluble in water, ethanol, ether and chloroform. Most acrylamide is used to synthesize polyacrylamides which find many uses as water-soluble thickeners.
Acrylamide in fried or baked goods is produced by the reaction between asparagine and reducing sugars or reactive carbonyls.
In April 2002, Sweden's National Food Administration announced that acrylamide can be found in baked and fried starchy foods, such as potato chips and breads, and concern was raised as it may be a carcinogen. In August 2005, California attorney general Bill Lockyer filed a lawsuit against top makers of french fries and potato chips to warn consumers of the potential risk of consuming acrylamide.
