Plant-based Meats
I had the good fortune of finding this podcast on plant-based meats, specifically, Impossible Foods, on the radio during a drive I took today.
What does it take to get people who love meat to eat less of it?
Interesting, moral arguments (you shouldn’t do X because of its ill-effects on others) are almost never successful. Most people will smile approvingly if you explain that the meat industry is ruining the planet via land use issues, nitrogen fertilizer runoff, methane emissions, etc., or that the level of cruelty is unacceptable, but very few will change their behavior. What does change people’s behavior is an experience that a certain new thing is as good or better than what they’re currently consuming.
That’s where the Impossible Burger comes in. You have to try it to believe it.
(So I don’t have to correct an erroneous comment that may come here, the key ingredient is FDA-approved.)
Craig,
The FDA may have approved the use of soy leghemoglobin a safe to consume in certain quantities, but that was never a concern.
( Actually, I have no personal objection to most genetically modified food).
Soy leghemoglobin is not the only ingredient in an Impossible Burger.
The FDA did not extol any health benefits from eating soy leghemoglobin, simply stating it had found (based on 24 hour trials on rats) the product was believed to be safe for human consumption of the basis there were no known harmful effects.
In reality, it’s not really possible to prove any food is 100% “safe”, at best, all the FDA can say is the product has no known history of being unsafe.(so far)
To be absolutely fair, that’s pretty much true of most food.
However, what is important for consumers to know is the early claim by Impossible Burger of soy leghemoglobin being natural is a lie!
Impossible Burger routinely states that soy leghemoglobin is the exact same as heme and this is simply false.
Heme occurs naturally in meat, it’s not genetically modified.
The concept of chemically re-creating aspects of something made in nature, then calling it “identical’ and therefore “natural”, is simply deceitful !
The soy leghemoglobin used in an Impossible Burger, is produced by using “genetically modified” yeast.
In fact, an Impossible Burger (according to the FDA) uses over 40 other Genetically Modified yeast proteins as ingredients!
FDA labeling rules don’t require these products to be listed as only ‘yeast extract’ is required to be on the label.
Aside from the argument of whether or not we should be consuming genetically modified food, The United States Department of Health & Human Services states:
” Yeast feeds pathogenic bacteria and can negatively impact gut microbiota. Regular consumption of yeast products can lead to a host of GI issues including fungal overgrowth, IBS, food intolerance and many more serious conditions”.
As I say, personally, I’m not really worried about such risks, but I can understand why Impossible Burger may not be anxious to reveal this information to consumers !
So much for the Genetically modified soy leghemoglobin, let’s look at some of the other chemicals used in the production of a Impossible Burger.
1) Soy protein isolate (SPO) this highly processed ingredient involves extraction using hexane. Hexane is ‘neurotoxin’.
Neurotoxins are destructive to nerve tissue causing neurotoxicity.
2)The Soy protein is processed into a fine white powder by soaked in ethanol and an acid bath to bleach, deodorize, and receive added chemical processing, before being added as an ingredient.
(Sounds really natural and ever so yummy!)
3) The Impossible Burger includes MSG . MSG is an excitotoxin. MSG is banned in most European nations as it’s linked to headaches, increased blood pressure,obesity, diabetes, steatosis, steatohepatitis, fibrotic liver parenchyma etc.
4)Carrageenan, another tasty ingredient. Carrageenan is a highly processed thickener, stabilizer, and texturizer, linked to intestinal ulcerations and neoplasms, but is mostly considered as a carcinogen primarily of human HepG2 cells.
(sounds delicious)
5)Titanium Dioxide. The main industrial use of this highly toxic carcinogen is for paint production, but the folk in the Impossible Burger Factory think you might like to add it to your diet!
6) Caramel Coloring; (no relation to the confection)Produced from ammonia and sulfites, and classed a highly active carcinogen by Johns Hopkins University.
7) Xanthan Gum. A polysaccharide secreted by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris. Xanthan gum is sugar produced by bacteria excreta (that’s the poop you find as rot on vegetables and fruit).
Sounds delicious! Unfortunately when processed by the folks at Impossible Burger it become a highly concentrated form of sugar. Is linked to intestinal bloating, gas, and even diarrhea, but is among the less harmful ingredients in your Impossible Burger.
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These seven ingredients only just touch the surface of the highly highly processed chemically produced stuff in an Impossible Burger.
Stuff like Textured Wheat Protein, Coconut Oil extract, Processed Potato Protein, Salt (sodium concentrates), Konjac Gum, Soy Protein Isolate etc, etc. The most dangerous of all is the very high level of complex salt.
To be fair, many of these extract appear in conventional fast food and other highly processed foods.
The main difference is the other don’t attempt to pose as heath foods!
I have no objection to people eating whatever food they wish, but I do believe purveyors of food should clearly label GM modified food, chemically produced extracts and other substances so the public consumer is able to make an informed choice.
Forgive me if I just can’t quite understand how eating a GM laboratory engineered, chemically processed meat substitute is somehow more natural or healthy than eating beef ?!
(Maybe a I just need a double serve of yummy Hexatane Toxin)