Lawsuit: Kentucky Fried Carcinogens

A national medical organization filed a lawsuit last month against KFC claiming that the fast food chain's grilled chicken products contain carcinogens and should be sold with a warning to consumers.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine collected 12 samples of six KFC restaurants in the San Francisco area. Upon analysis, the group found that all of the samples contained PhIP, a chemical the federal government and the state of California have labeled a carcinogen.

"This is an issue of alerting the public to the danger," said Dan Kinburn, attorney for the doctor's group. "We're not suing for damages. We're suing for warning labels. We want people to know about this risk."

Kinburn added that the group decided to target KFC because the fast food chain has marketed its grilled chicken products as a healthy alternative to fried foods. According to the KFC website, the product is a "better-for-you option for health-conscious customers."

The group hopes that lawsuit will set a precedent requiring warning labels on products containing PhIP.

California's Proposition 65, which was passed in 1986, declares that businesses must warn customers if they are exposing them to chemicals known to cause cancer or birth defects.