I don’t know if this McDonalds “warning label” (right, click for larger image) is real or not, but I’m damn sick of seeing it. Just FYI, Acrylamide is a natural chemical that forms whenever starchy foods are fried, roasted or baked – even in your own home. And, while it’s been shown to cause cancer in animals exposed to very high doses, just how much (if any) acrylamide is dangerous to humans is still unknown.

If you REALLY do not want to be exposed to acrylamide, besides french fries, you’ll have to avoid potato chips (or anything kind of cooked potatoes, for that matter), prunes, dried apricots, black olives, cocoa, coffee, corn chips, bread, biscuits, crackers, cookies, cereal (basically anything made with any kind of wheat or grains). And, no, organic doesn’t matter. Acrylamide is present in organic foods at the same level as non-organic products. Acrylamide has also been found in cosmetics and drinking water, so you’ll have to avoid those as well. And those are just the things that we what we know of right now. 40% of foodstuffs/groups have yet to be investigated for acrylamide.

Bottom line, use common sense – eat a normal, healthy diet, rich in antioxidants…and don’t freak out about some uncredited picture you came across on facebook.