State Reaches Settlement on Warning for Food Products

KFC has agreed to post in its California stores warnings that its potato products contain high levels of a naturally occurring substance that could contribute to an increased risk for cancer, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The agreement comes as part of a settlement in a 2005 lawsuit filed under Proposition 65 (Reiterman, Los Angeles Times, 4/25). California residents in 1986 approved the measure, which requires warning labels on products containing chemicals that have been shown to cause cancer or birth defects (California Healthline, 9/29/06). Former Attorney General Bill Lockyer (D) filed the lawsuit against KFC and other fast food chains and snack food manufacturers.

KFC admitted no wrongdoing in the settlement. The chain has agreed to pay $341,000 in civil penalties and other funds for enforcement of Proposition 65.

Terms of the settlement are subject to approval by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Wendell Mortimer. He will review the proposed settlement at a May 29 hearing.

Other Cases

Burger King and Wendy's International are in settlement talks with the state, according to Supervising Deputy Attorney General Edward Weil.

Michele Corash, an attorney who represents food manufacturers in the case, declined to comment on the state of Burger King and Wendy's negotiations with the state. She said that H.J. Heinz, Lance and Kettle Foods are not in settlement talks.

Frito-Lay, PepsiCo and McDonald's also are named in the suit (Los Angeles Times, 4/25).

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