A Texas Republican wants to make foods containing material from aborted human fetuses “clearly and conspicuously labeled” — even though such products do not exist.
The proposed law, authored by state Sen. Bob Hall, says food and medicine would have to be labeled if it contained or was manufactured with human fetal tissue or if it was the product of research that used such tissue. The bill defines human fetal tissue as “tissue, cells, or organs obtained from an aborted unborn child.”
“Unfortunately, many Texans are unknowingly consuming products that either contain human fetal parts or were developed using human fetal parts,” read a statement from Hall’s office. “While some may not be bothered by this, there are many Texans with religious or moral beliefs that would oppose consumption or use of these products.”
The Texas State Capitol is seen in Austin, Texas, on the first day of the 87th Legislature’s third special session on Sept. 20, 2021. State Sen. Bob Hall (R) wants to make foods containing material from aborted human fetuses “clearly and conspicuously labeled” — even though such products do not exist.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not allow the sale of foods containing human tissue.
“There are no conditions under which the FDA would consider human fetal tissue to be safe or legal for human or animal consumption,” an agency spokesperson wrote in an email to HuffPost.
The bill, which Hall filed on behalf of a constituent, marks one of the latest eruptions of recurring controversies over the scientific use of cell lines, which can be derived from aborted or miscarried fetuses. Scientists routinely use such cells for research and experimentation, but they are not used as food additives.
A single group of cells from a human embryo can be cultured thousands of times for many years. Several of the cell lines most widely used by researchers today were created decades ago.
Controversies over such cell lines stretch back to at least the 1970s when battles over abortion led to both state laws and federal regulations curtailing the use of aborted fetuses to cultivate fetal tissue and cell lines.
Anti-abortion groups — most notably Children of God For Life — have often called for boycotts of companies like Neucutis and Senomyx over their use of HEK 293 cells in research and development.
The HEK 293 cell line originally traces back to kidney cells obtained from either an abortion or miscarriage in the 1970s, according to Reuters. The cells have been used hundreds of thousands of times over the last half-century.
Neucutis acknowledged using the cell line to develop a skincare product. In addition, Senomyx used the cells to conduct millions of tests on flavor enhancers used in its products without using human taste testers, according to CBS News….
Full story at Huffington Post.
So now they want to make it illegal to have something that doesn’t exist. Really? While we are all allowed to have our own opinions, we aren’t endowed with our own facts. We need to follow the science and stop this kind of stupid stuff. Perhaps the legislator didn’t pass introductory science class in the eighth grade.
“So now they want to make it illegal to have something that doesn’t exist. Really?”
https://www.logicalfallacies.org/personal-incredulity.html
That seems like a reasonable regulation, especially given current labeling requirements. Since tuna cans are now labeled “dolphin safe,” it seems other products should be known to be either human baby safe or not. (And, both babies and dolphins are long dead by the time one picks up something off the shelf. The hope is to change future behaviors.)
Deacon:
If we don’t say “no”, they’ll do it, if it makes a profit.
Bob One:
I have a masters in chemistry and retired from 41 years in the science classroom. The chemical industry is very good at finding profit in any “waste”. This pre-emptive strike is a good idea. “Following the science” (= following the loudest-mouth media and government approved spokesperson) can lead in dangerous directions. SCOTUS was “following the science” when it approved forced sterilization in the early 20c. The abuse of “science” for profit and political gain is massive. We need to keep both our skepticism and our morals.
Tom, I’m not sure what you meant by “If we don’t say no…” If you mean, as a society, say no to the use of baby parts in any product, I, of course, agree. Is that what you meant?
No to the use of fetal parts, of course. What society refuses to forbid, the commercial interests will run with, if it pays.
the Huffpost full article subheader tels us ‘such foods do not exist’…But the British website fullfact.org re-assures us that the food industry used embryonic stem cells from the HEK 293 line, which are “not flavorings themselves but clones of cells taken from an aborted foetus in 1973.” Stephanie Hauer reports at rehumanizeintl.org that “when the flavor enhancers developed by Senomyx are added to foods they are in a low enough concentration that they can be labelled as ‘artificial flavors’ making it difficult to trace which foods have those flavors. The Senomyx product line was acquired by Firmenich, a Swiss-based flavor and fragrance company in September 2018 after receiving negative pro-life revelations about ‘improving the flavor of Campbell’s Soup’ and other foods.
If you google around, you will find old Senomyx stories which name the foods that were ‘enhanced’ through a baby’s kidney cells: Lays Chips, Gatorade, Pepsi Dasani water, Minute Maid, Tropicana. Most the the USA press articles come with a warning block from google to suggest the sites are not secure and discourage you from opening. By purchasing Senomyx, Firmenich “rescued’ and probably hid any further transparency on this issue. The Firmenich.com website has just announced ‘dragonfruit’ as the flavor of the year’. It seems life is always fighting the dragon.
Cannibal Culture …. Again !
Can’t wait to try real Soylent Green.
the taste of Death