There are a lot of toxic products from California. Look at the post below: much of what comes out of the maw of Hollywood is surely harmful or fatal if swallowed (you can also take a look at our piece on the Sundance Film Festival.) But that’s not our subject here. In an absurd use of taxpayer money, laughingstock Attorney General Bill Lockyear is suing big food companies to put warning lables on french fries. From the SF Chronicle:

Attorney General Bill Lockyer sued fast-food giants McDonald’s, Burger King and KFC and the makers of several popular potato-chip brands Friday, alleging that they have failed to warn California consumers about the dangers of acrylamide, a carcinogen produced when potatoes and other starchy foods are cooked at high temperatures…..

Lockyer is seeking labeling only of potato products, although traces of acrylamide are found in breakfast cereals, breads, olives, asparagus, coffee and even prune juice…..The nine defendants in Lockyer’s suit also include H.J. Heinz, the maker of Ore-Ida frozen potato products, Procter & Gamble, which makes Pringles, and Kettle Foods Inc., creator of Kettle Chips…..

Acrylamide is present in foods that make up about 40 percent of the calories consumed in the average American diet, food makers say…..Acrylamide levels vary widely. For example, Burger King fries, tested at three locations, contained 197, 220 and 369 parts per billion. Baked Ore-Ida Golden Fries contain 1,098 parts per billion, but Ore-Ida Zesties contain 572.

You get the picture? Lockyear is only going after big, high profile companies making chips and fries, though the offending chemical thigamajig is found in 40% of everyone’s daily caloric intake in foods like asparagus and prune juice. Can you spell e-x-t-o-r-t-i-o-n? Moreover, take a look at the quantities involved: this clown is going to try to rip off some companies because of an extremely common substance found in foods in the quantity of 0.000005% or so. Is he serious? At least when Elliot Spitzer of New York goes after companies, they usually have real dirt under their fingernails, not just a little grease from the fries.

We suggest a different approach: a warning label on Bill Lockyear. Maybe one of those “I’m with Stupid” shirts with the arrow pointing up. Or a tattoo on his forehead: “WARNING: may cause politicians to be held in even lower esteem by the public.”

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 27th, 2005 at 2:40 pm and is filed under Democrats, General, idiots!, Left of Left. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.