ATLANTA (EWTN News)—A pro-life group’s concerns that PepsiCo may be using aborted fetal cell lines for research and development of beverage flavor enhancers have prompted a shareholder to file a resolution asking PepsiCo to adopt a policy against such research.
In August 2010 PepsiCo entered into a four-year agreement with the company Senomyx to develop high-potency sweeteners for its beverages. PepsiCo is paying $30 million for the research and future royalties on PepsiCo products sold using the technology.
Most of Senomyx’s patents involve the aborted fetal cell line HEK-293, which originated in human embryonic kidneys.
The Largo, Fla.-based group Children of God for Life wrote both companies asking that they use several of the non-objectionable cell lines listed in their patents. Senomyx did not respond, while PepsiCo told the group that the research would produce “great-tasting, lower-calorie beverages.”
The new shareholder resolution asks that the board of directors adopt a corporate policy that “recognizes human rights and employs ethical standards which do not involve using the remains of aborted human beings in both private and collaborative research and development agreements.”
Debi Vinnedge, Children of God for Life’s executive director, said shareholders have “a right to know the truth about what PepsiCo is doing with their hard-earned savings.”
“PepsiCo’s lack of consideration to the public’s moral sensibilities has only served to fuel the fire and threatens stock values, retirement pensions and investments,” she said. “There is nothing ethical or appropriate in the way they are exploiting the remains of an innocent aborted child.”
Children of God for Life has responded to the situation by launching a boycott of PepsiCo.
Edward Pentin: Images of Rome's 2013 March for Life
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This makes me want to ask, “What other companies and products use immoral and unethical practices in developmental practice?” I’ve never been a particular fan of PepsiCo and their products and divisions. Now I may never support them even as a least-preferred alternate.
I’ve been singing this song for 6 months. I wrote to PepsiCo in April and they wrote back and basically said, “Shut up and leave us alone. This stuff tastes good.” The body parts are listed as artificial flavor in the ingredients, but the FDA is being petitioned to allow Pepsi and others to listed the dead baby parts as “natural flavoring.”
It’s not just Pepsi. It’s also Frito Lay, Nestle, Gerber, Stouffer, Kraft… pretty much any large food brand you can think of EXCEPT Campbell’s Soup Co. God bless them!! They’ve got all my business these days. They stopped the use of fetal cells in their food in March of this year.
A couple of years ago I began to personally boycott Pepsi for their strong support for gay rights and parades which oftentimes insult our great clergy and nuns. I began to call their soft drinks “GAyCola.” Now with their use or support behind this hideous practice of using aborted fetus for experimentation, I believe we should boycott all of their products and be serious about this.
This is disgusting!
I am addicted to diet pepsi, however, in light of this info I will be going off of it cold turkey. The thought of this is disgusting!
Not “possible” use—This IS happening! And it isn’t just Pepsi, but also Nestle and Kraft. Pepsi is just the most belligerent of the three.
http://www.lifenews.com/2011/03/29/company-uses-fetal-cells-from-abortions-for-artificial-flavors/
Between the 3 companies, they basically own everything that we eat. Because of that power, they feel that they can do whatever they want because even well-intentioned pro-lifers won’t have the guts to boycott them. But we can.
Full product listings for,
Pepsi http://www.pepsico.com/Brands.html
Kraft http://www.kraftfoodscompany.com/Brands/largest-brands/index.aspx
Nestle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nestlé_brands
When I was approached at Mass with the news of this boycott, it was relayed to me by a woman who simply told me that “Pepsi was doing experiments with fetal tissue” so I read-up on it a bit.
Yes, HEK-293 is a culture medium that was originally derived from a single aborted baby’s kidney about 40 years ago. That was a morally unacceptable thing to do and the passage of time does not make it any less so. I would encourage the biotech industry to come up with and sell a more morally acceptable alternative.
I have observed, however, that some pro-lifers jump at issues such as this without researching what it is that they are actually making reference to. I have seen comments that makes this issue appear much more menacing and ongoing that it actually is…that there babies now being harvested for experimentation which does not seem to be the case.
We need to be diligent and insistent that immorally acquired cell lines are not casually used, but we need to be truthful and not exaggerate lest we lose our capacity to be taken seriously in public discourse. The truth needs no exaggeration and we need only speak the truth…as soon as we embellish it to sway people, we compromise ourselves.
My husband sent me this link about using human embryonic kidney cells. I am a retired nurse who did drug studies.Nothing from aborted embryonic cells have ever lead to anything!Just giving the public a feel good about killing babies. Adult cells are where the great discoveries are coming from. Like,Deborah Seites, I too am addicted. I have the shakes just writing down going cold turkey—But—Cold Turkey it is!! I rarely drink water.My family and friends are going to know something Big is happening. This is a BIG DEAL! I don’t do trade offs with the devil!! This is going to be a good fight. God’s on my side, who else is with me!? Amen!
Lucy, you are unnecessarily overstating your case. There are no baby parts in the soda or in the manufacture of the soda and to say there is would be a fabrication. The immorally acquired cells are used in researching sweeteners. Just tell the truth, it is enough, it speaks clearly for itself. Be accurate. Like I said, prolifers who go running into the town square with wild exaggerations cause the whole movement to lose credibility.
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