“Blood” in artificial meat may lead to decreased fertility

“Blood” in artificial meat may lead to decreased fertility.   According to a report by Columbia News Network, the US Food Safety Center organization stated that the safety evidence of additives used to imitate “blood” in artificial meat burgers is insufficient. In animal experiments, the additive may cause the rat’s reproductive cycle to be interrupted and uterine weight to decrease.

Bill Freese, a scientific policy analyst organized by the Center for Food Safety in the United States, introduced that artificial meat companies would add “soy hemoglobin” in the process of making hamburger patties. This is a genetically modified yeast protein. In 2019, the US FDA approved the edible license for this genetically modified protein. In the process of eating, the artificial meatloaf “bleeds” like real meat, satisfying the visual perception. This additive is widely used in the manufacture of artificial meat.

Freese said that in a short-term rat experiment, the additive has been found to have some potential risk factors, including the interruption of the reproductive cycle, the loss of female uterine weight, and the animal’s anemia, decreased blood clotting ability and kidney problems. The number of biomarkers increased.

Freese said the FDA should require more extensive safety testing before approving the additive. However, the FDA gave the green light without receiving its long-term safety results.

At present, the FDA refuses to comment on such controversial topics; the artificial meat company pointed out in a statement that all products have undergone strict safety tests and meet and exceed the standards required by the United States.

In fact, the safety of artificial meat has a long history of debate. Artificial meat products companies claim that meat patties are made from plants, which are not only healthier than red meat, but also help reduce greenhouse gas production. However, Rochelle Sirota, a registered dietitian at Rock Nutrition in New York, expressed opposition. She said that artificial meat adds a lot of saturated fat in order to imitate the taste of meat, resulting in its calories similar to red meat products, but with higher saturated fat content, which increases the content of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (bad cholesterol) in the body. More unfriendly to cardiovascular health. Artificial meat contains more additives such as pigments and flavors during the production process, which is not necessarily healthier than ordinary red meat.

“Sustainable Food Frontier” magazine also questioned another type of artificial meat, namely genetically engineered artificial meat. This kind of artificial meat uses some cells isolated from animal muscle cells for in vitro culture, and finally an “artificial steak” is produced, and its carbon emissions and water consumption are far less than the same weight of red meat.

However, the opponent believes that the carbon emission of genetically engineered artificial meat itself is very low, but the equipment used for cultivation and the requirements for maintaining the cultivation environment are completely sterile, will greatly increase the environmental cost, and the final carbon emission may be more than that of ordinary red meat. It’s 55% higher. In addition, this kind of artificial meat needs to use a lot of growth hormones during the cultivation process. What side effects do these hormones have on humans and animals? It is worth being very vigilant.

Perhaps, as Sirota said, if you refuse to eat meat, why do you want to eat something that mimics meat in color and taste?

(source:internet, reference only)

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