The EU has proposed an unacceptably weak rule for protecting the public from acrylamide, a food contaminant linked to cancer and DNA damage. Will you chip in to help launch an emergency campaign to demand strong protections from acrylamide?
Acrylamide is a cancer-causing food contaminant found in everything from French fries to baby food.
And now the European Commission is proposing to allow food corporations to double or even triple the levels of acrylamide in foods like baby food, breakfast cereal, and coffee -- with only weak, voluntary guidelines.
Even the European Food Safety Authority says acrylamide increases the risk of cancer. So why on Earth would the European Commission be proposing such weak protections? Because of a massive lobbying campaign backed by food companies like McDonald's, Nestlé, and Unilever.
The public won't stand for this if we can get the word out, so we're aiming to raise $100,000 to launch an emergency campaign, including ads, petition deliveries, and whatever else it takes to force the European Commission to set real, enforceable limits on acrylamide now.
Acrylamide not only increases the risk of cancer -- it can also damage DNA.
And it's everywhere. Breakfast cereal, chips, crackers, coffee, bread, baby food -- basically any starchy food cooked at extremely high temperatures, and tons of processed and fast foods are.
The good news is that we know acrylamide levels can be reduced with simple food safety measures. But the food companies don't want to take those steps because it might cut into their profits.
That's why they're lobbying so hard to prevent any kind of strong, enforceable standards from being put in place. There's still time to get these rules strengthened, but we need to sound the alarm fast.
Already, tens of thousands of you have signed petitions calling for stronger protections. Your donation will allow us to begin running ads and organizing high profile petition deliveries. Will you chip in today?
More information
Food activists attack new EU rules on cancer-causing chemical
Politico. 28 September 2016.
Politico. 28 September 2016.
European Commission wants to delegate acrylamide control to food industry
Corporate Europe Observatory. 20 September 2016.
Corporate Europe Observatory. 20 September 2016.