(NaturalNews) (NaturalNews) Senomyx, a San Diego, Cal.-based biotechnology company that specializes in food flavoring ingredients, is under fire for allegedly using aborted human fetal cells to test the effectiveness of its various synthetic flavoring agents. According to reports, the company has plenty of other viable options at its disposal for testing such ingredients that do not involve the moral and ethical problems associated with using aborted human fetal cells, but for whatever reason it has ignored pleas to stop using them.
The Senomyx website explains that the company develops "savory, sweet and salt flavor ingredients that are intended to allow for the reduction of MSG (monosodium glutamate), sugar and salt in food and beverage products." But the way in which it does this is through the use of "isolated human taste receptors," which a group called Children of God for Life (CGL) suggests is a deceptive marketing term to cover up their true nature.
"What they don't tell the public is that they are using HEK 293 -- human embryonic kidney cells taken from an electively aborted baby to produce those receptors," said Debi Vinnedge, director of CGL. "They could have easily chosen animal, insect, or other morally obtained human cells expressing the G protein for taste receptors."
CGL says it has tried to contact Senomyx on numerous occasions to urge the company to switch to alternative testing methods, but has yet to receive a formidable response. CGL has also contacted many of the company's "collaborators," which include PepsiCo, Kraft Foods, Solae, and Nestle. Such collaborators help fund research and development at Senomyx, as well as pay royalties on sales of products they sell that include the company's flavor ingredients.
Campbell Soup was also a Senomyx collaborator, but shortly after being contacted by CGL, the company indicated that it had officially cut ties with Senomyx over the ordeal.
Besides the company's questionable use of aborted fetal cells to test its flavors, the flavors themselves are synthetically-derived. Artificial flavor enhancers are exactly what their name insinuates -- fake. They typically reduce costs for processed food producers by extending flavors and tastes but provide no nutritional benefit to consumers.
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