Wellness

[KingstonsMom]

The FDA is facing a lawsuit over its approval of soy leghemoglobin, a color additive used by Impossible Foods in their plant-based products that make burgers appear like they're 'bleeding'.

The lawsuit was filed at the end of January by the Center for Food Safety, an advocacy group seeking alternatives to industrial food processing.

The CFS alleges that insufficient testing has been done on soy leghemoglobin, also known as heme, which has an effect of making Impossible Burgers look like they're bleeding, akin to real meat.

'FDA approved soy leghemoglobin even though it conducted none of the long-term animal studies that are needed to determine whether or not it harms human health,' said Bill Freese, who is a science policy analyst at the CFS.

'We find this to be all the more troubling because a number of potential adverse effects were detected in a short-term rat trial: disruption of reproductive cycles and reduced uterine weights in females, and biomarkers of anemia, reduced clotting ability, and kidney problems.'

'FDA's failure to require Impossible Foods to conduct long-term tests called for in the agency's own authoritative guidelines means it does not have 'convincing evidence' that this color additive, consumed by millions, is safe,' said Ryan Talbott, who is an attorney at CFS.

Heme for Impossible Foods is produced in yeast that is genetically engineered and contains at least a dozen yeast proteins, according to Fox News.

Food Safety News reports this is done by extracting DNA from the roots of soy plants and inserting that DNA into the genetically-engineered yeast.

Then, it is fermented so that the heme can be mass produced. 

For more details:

FDA faces lawsuit over heme product in Impossible Burgers, allegations over lack of testing | Daily ...

[happycat]

Yuck. Who comes up with something that can make this fake meat look like its "bleeding"? 

[KingstonsMom]

@happycat 

I know, right?? That sounds so gross!

And people thought they were eating 'healthier' with plant based food.

[Sooner]

I don't think these products should be able to have "meat" or "beef" etc. on the lable at all.  It is simply to fool some of the  customers.  

It is soy protein and should be labled as such. 

[haddon9]

It sounds disgusting...I can't imainge eating faux meat.  If you want to be vegan than just eat veggies.

[willdob3]

@KingstonsMom 

That is all? One ingredient? I really thought the lawsuit would be because it is a horribly unhealthy processed food product. 

[Jersey Born]

Do you know who is providing the financial backing for this artificial meat while at the same time purchasing lots of farmland in the US?  You should look that up.  It is troubling.

[LTT1]

@KingstonsMom @Jersey Born @willdob3 @haddon9 @Sooner 

i'm very glad the FSC is looking into this.

It sounds dangerous.

[Nonametoday]

And Mr. Gates moves right on along with his plans for our future food supply.

[furbabylover]

Just don't buy Franken-foods! All studies point to the overly processed "natural" meat substitutes as being far more detrimental to your health than plain old meat. Its not just the chemicals in them, its the chemicals used in processing these "foods".