A McDonald’s customer noted a “warning sign” outside the restaurant that he says is “like a warning label for cigarettes, but for food.”
TikTok creator Ray Ray Austin (@rayrayscomedy) documented the presence of the sign at a McDonald’s in California. His video has garnered more than 717,600 views and 64,600 likes in its first five days on the platform since going up on Saturday.
In it, he asked his viewers, “You know when you walk into a McDonald’s, there’s a warning?”
@rayrayscomedy Have you ever seen the WARNING SIGN at McDonald’s? #mcdonalds #warning #fastfood #cancer #fup ♬ original sound – Ray Ray Austin
He then reads the sign verbatim:
WARNING: Certain foods and beverages sold or served here can expose you to chemicals including acrylamide in many fried or baked foods, and mercury in fish, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/restaurant.
It turns out that, as you might surmise from the text, it’s a warning that McDonald’s put up to comply with California state law.
According to the P65Warnings.ca.gov website, “Proposition 65 requires businesses to provide warnings to Californians about significant exposures to chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. Exposure to these chemicals may take place when products are acquired or used. Exposure may also occur in homes, workplaces, or other environments in California. By requiring that this information be provided, Proposition 65 enables Californians to make informed decisions about their exposures to these chemicals.”
The law dates back to 1986, but Austin made it seem like some would be surprised by it.
“So, if yo’ ass get cancer [or] anything, they told yo’ ass before,” he said upon seeing the sign.
One commenter remarked, “California literally has that warning on everything.”
Another observed, “It’s you still going in for me,” with some laughing emojis.
Austin responded, “I’m a door dasher.”
Someone said to that, “Ahhhhh lol makes way more sense now,” adding, with laugh emojis of their own, “thought u was ordering a fish fillet.”
Austin shared a series of similar videos on his Instagram account, including one showing a sign posted in a McDonald’s drive-thru window. For good measure, he also posted a sign that he said revealed a warning to McDonald’s employees.
The sign highlights acrylamide. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “Acrylamide is a chemical that can form in some foods during high-temperature cooking processes, such as frying, roasting, and baking. Acrylamide in food forms from sugars and an amino acid that are naturally present in food; it does not come from food packaging or the environment.”
The article also noted, “Acrylamide caused cancer in animals in studies where animals were exposed to acrylamide at very high doses,” but added, “Acrylamide has probably always been present in cooked foods.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Austin via Instagram direct message and to McDonald’s via email.
