[BIOCHEMISTRY | Week #13] The Body's Ecosystem

Ultra Processed American Diet

The chart above seems to be the common view on what processed foods look like. But what fails to be seen in this image is the increase in ultra processed plant-based food items.  I don't know how many times I've written about the Impossible Burger in my blogs, but I just find it relatable to many topics that have surfaced in both biochemistry and biology. I think its also because I am one of many consumers who were tricked into believing that the being vegan is an healthier and ethical alternative to eating meat. 😩 I have come to learn....HELL NO! With the mass push to sell processed and ultra processed food in order to save a buck, it is imperative that all folks (no matter what diet you have) should have the agency and knowledge to know where their food comes from. But back to the Impossible Burger...

I read an article published just two months ago by the Center for Food Safety  who found that the Impossible Burger is genetically modified in two ways, through the soybeans used to create the burger "meat" and the "heme" that mimics the bleeding of a patty made of beef.  

The Center for Food Safety writes:

"In order to manufacture its burgers, Impossible Foods takes DNA from the roots of soy plants, where a small amount of "heme" is produced, and inserts it into genetically engineered yeast that is then fermented to mass-produce heme. This is the first time that people have consumed this product. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is supposed to require testing in this situation to make sure that this novel protein does not cause allergic reactions in people. Unfortunately, instead of requiring Impossible Foods to file a new Food Additive Petition, FDA allowed the company to use a weak regulatory process called "Generally Recognized As Safe" (GRAS) where the company does its own research and chooses its own reviewers to self-certify that its product is safe for human consumption."

To make matters worse, traces of glyphosate, a carcinogenic herbicide and Monsanto favorite were found in the Impossible Burger patties. Check out this article on "Living Maxwell".