4 Firms to Cut Levels of Carcinogen in Foods

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Four food manufacturers have agreed to reduce levels of a cancer-causing chemical in their potato chips and french fries in a settlement with the state of California.

The California attorney general’s office announced the deals Friday with Heinz, Frito-Lay, Kettle Foods and Lance Inc.

The lawsuits were filed under a state law that requires companies to post warnings about carcinogens in their products.

The attorney general’s office sued the manufacturers and several fast-food companies in 2005 because their products contained high levels of acrylamide.

The office says the companies agreed to lower the levels and pay a combined $3 million in fines.

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