"Back in 2002, french fry lovers around the world received a nasty bit of news: Those crunchy, fried strips of potato contained a known carcinogen. Now, all these years later, a new warning from the Food and Drug Administration has consumers once again puzzling over whether to fear the chemical acrylamide."

"Acrylamide was known to cause cancer in lab animals when ingested at high doses. So when researchers announced a decade ago that they had also discovered it in many commonly eaten foods – including French fries, potato chips, bread and even coffee — consumers were understandably worried that their snack chips might do them in."

"The news set off a bit of a panic and even some lawsuits. A panel convened by the World Health Organization concluded that acrylamide in food was indeed a major concern, and the FDA issued an action plan."