Pro-life groups call for Pepsi boycott over aborted fetal cell lines

[Pax_et_Bonum]

Pro-life groups call for Pepsi boycott over aborted fetal cell lines
BY REBECCA MILLETTE
Thu May 26, 2011 14:17 ESTComments (6)Tags: Abortion, Fetal Cell Lines, Pepsi, Senomyx

LARGO, Florida, May 26, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Scores of prolife groups are calling for a public boycott of food giant, PepsiCo, due to its partnership with Senomyx, a biotech company that uses aborted fetal cells in the research and development of artificial flavor enhancers.

LifeSiteNews previously reported on Senomyx’s partnership with major food corporations, most notably PepsiCo, Kraft Foods, and Nestlé.

Pro-life watchdog group, Children of God for Life (CGL), is now joined by major pro-life organizations calling upon the public to target PepsiCo in a boycott.

Pepsi is funding the research and development, and paying royalties to Senomyx, which uses HEK-293 (human embryonic kidney cells) to produce flavor enhancers for Pepsi beverages.

“Using isolated human taste receptors we created proprietary taste receptor-based assay systems that provide a biochemical or electronic readout when a flavor ingredient interacts with the receptor,” says the Senomyx website.

“What they do not tell the public is that they are using HEK 293 – human embryonic kidney cells taken from an electively aborted baby to produce those receptors,” stated Debi Vinnedge, President for CGL, the watch dog group that has been monitoring the use of aborted fetal material in medical products and cosmetics for years.

The aborted fetal cells are not in the product itself. However, “there are many options PepsiCo could be using instead of aborted fetal cells,” noted Vinnedge.

The revelation about Senomyx’s research techniques motivated Campbell Soup to sever all relations with Senomyx.

lifesitenews.com/news/pro-life-groups-call-for-pepsi-boycott-over-aborted-fetal-cell-lines?utm_source=LifeSiteNews.com+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=6cbc3cdfbd-LifeSiteNews_com_Canada_Full_Text_02_26_2011&utm_medium=email

 

[WoundedIcon]

Can’t even drink Pepsi in this bizarro world without helping someone experiment on dead children. And I bet someone died in a sweat shop for my shorts. I’m waiting for fire to fall from Heaven in 3… 2… ugh.

 

[LongJohnSilver]

Wait… Pepsi uses aborted babies to enhance the taste of soda? What a sick world we’re living in…

 

[Stylteralmaldo]

Wait… Pepsi uses aborted babies to enhance the taste of soda? What a sick world we’re living in…

For sure. I found the following web site which lists other companies working with Senomyx:

healthy-holistic-living.com/flavor-technology.html
from web site:

…The company notes on its website that they have entered into “exclusive or co-exclusive product discovery and development collaborations” with Ajinomoto, Cadbury, Campbell Soup Company, Firmenich, Nestle, Pepsi, and Solae.

Solae? No, I had never heard of them either. But that company’s website tells us “Solae was formed in 2003 as a joint venture between DuPont and Bunge.”…

from web site:

…Nestle is Gerbers, Alpo, Buitoni, Purina, Carnation, PowerBar, way too many to list here, but the Nestle corporate website very helpfully lists them alphabetically for you at nestle.com/Brands/RelatedPages/Brands+A-Z+Master.htm

…
from web site:

…Campbell Soup is also Pace, Prego, Pepperidge Farm

, Swanson, V8, and Wolfgang Puck…
from web site:

…PepsiCo is also Frito-Lay, Tropicana, Quaker (which includes such Near East dishes as couscous and falafel, as well as Mother’s barley and other grains), Lipton, Tostitos, again, too many to mention here. Well, I’ll make an exception: In what I’m sure is unintentional irony, they also produce Ethos water…

from web site:

…Firmenich? Perfumes and other, um, odorants, as well as flavors. Lots and lots of flavors, because they’re one of the largest flavor-producing companies in the world…

from web site:

For your reading enjoyment, see these: The company’s website: www.senomyx.com

from web site:

One patent for Senyomyx:

faqs.org/patents/app/20080214784

The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences with the Senomyx studies, at

pnas.org/search?fulltext=senomyx&submit=yes&go.x=12&go.y=1

faqs.org/sec-filings/100204/SENOMYX-INC_10-K/

 

[Stylteralmaldo]

For sure. I found the following web site which lists other companies working with Senomyx:

healthy-holistic-living.com/flavor-technology.html

It should be noted that Campbell’s has distanced themselves from Senomyx and severed the relationship.
from article:

The revelation about Senomyx’s research techniques motivated Campbell Soup to sever all relations with Senomyx.

 

[Dale_M]

Wait… Pepsi uses aborted babies to enhance the taste of soda?

The flavor enhancers which are developed using a cell line which was cultured from tissue from an aborted fetus are not necessarily in Pepsi sodas. Remember, PepsiCo is a major corporation which owns a variety food companies such as Frito-Lay, Quaker Oats, Tropicana etc. The article in the first post indicates that Senomyx is developing flavor enhancers for lower-calorie beverages. Such beverages are not necessarily Pepsi sodas. For example, here is a recent news release from PepsiCo about a new flavor of a low-calorie drink which is produced by their company IZZE Sparkling Juice:
pepsico.com/PressRelease/Introducing-a-Refreshing-New-Low-Calorie-IZZE-esque-Sparkling-Watermelon04192011.html

 

[The_Rock]

Plese take the time to contact Pepsi.
To Contact PepsiCo:

Jamie Caulfield, Sr. VP
PepsiCo, Inc.
700 Anderson Hill Road
Purchase, NY 10577
(914) 253-2000

To contact online:
cr.pepsi.com/usen/pepsiusen.cfm?date=20110527

 

[The_Rock]

Be prepared for the following reponse from Pepsi:

Please be assured that PepsiCo is committed to using only the highest ethical methods in all aspects of our research. This is something we take very seriously, and we hold ourselves and all of our research partners to the same high standards as the world’s leading research centers.

With respect to the flavor discovery research with Senomyx, we utilize techniques that have been the gold standard for several decades by top universities, hospitals, U.S. government agencies, food and beverage companies, and essentially every pharmaceutical and biotech company in the world. Yet, there is some misinformation being circulated meant to distort what we’re doing and question our motives and those of other companies. This is unfortunate, and it is certainly not reflective of the work we are doing.

We hope this information is helpful and reassuring. Thank you again for reaching out to us and allowing us to clarify the situation.

Of course there is nothing “helpful and reassuring” about this. And they never address what “misinformation being circulated”. They must think using an aborted baby’s body for research is “ethical” Basically this response is a “we are not going to do anything about this situation” response. More Pro-Lifers need to contact them, and please let them know this response is not OK.

Please realize that the aborted cells are not in the product you buy, but the aborted baby’s cells were used to develop new flavors. Let them know that this is not ethical.