"KentuckyGrilledChicken" news and stories

A KFC Colonel Sanders lookalike has caused a minor international incident.

Last week, KFC sent an actor dressed as chain founder Colonel Harland Sanders to the United Nations in New York to publicize its Oct. 26 UNFry Day for Kentucky Grilled Chicken. But it seems the actor and his entourage were a little too good as they were able to bypass United Nations security to pose for photos with Libya's Dr. Ali A. Treki, the current president of the UN Assembly.

"It should not have happened -- that I will stress, and very strongly," Michele Montas, spokeswoman for U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, told Canada's National Post. She added there was "some lapse in security," with a guard ushering the Sanders lookalike "into the U.N."

A KFC official told Slashfood on Thursday that they never planned to send the Colonel into the U.N.

"The KFC Colonel was in New York City for a Kentucky Grilled Chicken sampling event outside the United Nations," Laurie Schalow, a KFC spokeswoman told Slashfood. "While serving free chicken on First Avenue, he was invited inside by a U.N. staff member, along with a photographer who was documenting the event."

The chicken chain did send "a tongue-in-cheek letter to the U.N. requesting that they allow their employees to "unthink" their usual lunch routine and sample Kentucky Grilled Chicken outside the U.N.," she said.

"KFC has the utmost respect for the United Nations and this lighthearted event in New York City was in no way meant to undermine the important work that the U.N. does around the world," Schalow said.

What do you think? Should the Colonel have gone to the U.N.? Let us know in the comments below.

[Via the National Post]

A new class-action lawsuit filed Wednesday in Connecticut alleges McDonald's, Burger King and Friendly's failed to warn customers that their grilled chicken could cause cancer.

The suit, filed by two Connecticut residents in the Superior Court of the State of Connecticut: Judicial District of Hartford, claims the chains failed to warn consumers that they're serving grilled poultry containing the compound PhIP, which the state of California considers to be a carcinogen. A similar lawsuit filed in California last month against KFC targeted the Colonel's Kentucky Grilled Chicken.

The Cancer Project, the nonprofit that filed the suit on behalf of the residents, says eating PhIP -- even in small amounts -- can increase one's risk of cancer.

"Consumers deserve to know that grilled chicken from McDonald's and other fast-food chains can increase your risk of cancer," Cancer Project President Dr. Neal D. Barnard said in a statement. "Even a grilled-chicken salad increases the risk of developing some cancers, including breast and prostate cancer."

But a McDonald's spokeswoman said customer "safety and well-being" is a "top priority."

"Scientific research shows that PhIP is naturally occurring, and is created when chicken is grilled -- whether at home -- or in a restaurant. It may be present at low concentrations in oven-broiled, pan-fried, and grilled meats, as a result of normal cooking," Cynthia Goody, McDonald's nutrition director, said. "There is no scientific evidence to suggest the small amount of PhIP that can be created as a by-product of cooking methods humans have employed for thousands of years, poses a health risk.

"Like other restaurant companies and food establishments, at McDonald's, we continue to look to the FDA and USDA for their guidance on PhIP," her statement continued. "Beyond that, because this is a pending legal matter, it would be inappropriate to further comment or speculate."

A Colonel Sanders lookalike gives away chicken. Photo: KFC.

Lunch-goers craving KFC were out of luck at one Louisville, Ky., location Tuesday, as the restaurant closed its doors to the public for two hours. But it was for a good cause.

The restaurant, located in the brand's hometown, was converted into a "World Hunger Relief Kitchen" for two hours, during which employees served Kentucky Grilled Chicken meals to about 110 residents from local shelters, KFC spokesman Rick Maynard told Slashfood. It was the first of several closings planned around the country for the 15,000-restaurant chain.

The event kicked off the company's fund- and awareness-raising activities with World Hunger Relief, including fundraisers, food drives and car washes at KFC locations around the country.