I had to get to the bottom of this:
https://www.hli.org/resources/products-that-use-aborted-fetuses/ -->
To be clear, food and beverages do not contain any aborted fetal material ... The American biotech company Senomyx has developed chemical additives that can enhance flavor and smell. To do this, they had to produce an army of never-tiring taste testers–that is, flavor receptors engineered from human embryonic kidney cells (HEK 293, fetal cell line popular in pharmaceutical research)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senomyx -->
Senomyx develops patented flavor enhancers by using "proprietary taste receptor-based assay systems", which have been previously expressed in human cell culture, in HEK293 cells. HEK293 cells are a cell line widely used in biological and medical research, immortalised through a genetic modification removed from the original human embryonic kidney cells taken from a healthy, electively aborted human fetus in the early 1970s. The receptors in the assay are used to identify flavours; they are not used as flavours themselves.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewherper/2012/01/27/fetal-cells-in-soda-not-quite-the-discomfort-behind-the-controversy/ -->
Oklahoma State Senator Ralph Shortey is being widely mocked for a bill to ban the use of human embryonic tissue in the production or research of food ... Senomyx has isolated receptors found on cells that detect taste, and added them to the HEK cells. This allows them to test thousands of potential taste additives to see whether they might taste sweet or savory with a speed that would be impossible with human taste testers. ... Synomyx has announced collaborations with Pepsi, Nestle, and Coca-Cola
In conclusion, the headline is wrong. The "Below is a list of products that contain HEK cells." is wrong. The idea of using fetal stem cell derivatives to check for a stimulus based on synthetic flavors is apparently accurate. Ralph Shortey was convicted of child sex trafficking after a plea deal when faced with four federal sex trafficking and child pornography charges (LOL). Now use this information to make a conscious decision on how you want to proceed.
https://www.hli.org/resources/products-that-use-aborted-fetuses/ -->
To be clear, food and beverages do not contain any aborted fetal material ... The American biotech company Senomyx has developed chemical additives that can enhance flavor and smell. To do this, they had to produce an army of never-tiring taste testers–that is, flavor receptors engineered from human embryonic kidney cells (HEK 293, fetal cell line popular in pharmaceutical research)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senomyx -->
Senomyx develops patented flavor enhancers by using "proprietary taste receptor-based assay systems", which have been previously expressed in human cell culture, in HEK293 cells. HEK293 cells are a cell line widely used in biological and medical research, immortalised through a genetic modification removed from the original human embryonic kidney cells taken from a healthy, electively aborted human fetus in the early 1970s. The receptors in the assay are used to identify flavours; they are not used as flavours themselves.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewherper/2012/01/27/fetal-cells-in-soda-not-quite-the-discomfort-behind-the-controversy/ -->
Oklahoma State Senator Ralph Shortey is being widely mocked for a bill to ban the use of human embryonic tissue in the production or research of food ... Senomyx has isolated receptors found on cells that detect taste, and added them to the HEK cells. This allows them to test thousands of potential taste additives to see whether they might taste sweet or savory with a speed that would be impossible with human taste testers. ... Synomyx has announced collaborations with Pepsi, Nestle, and Coca-Cola
In conclusion, the headline is wrong. The "Below is a list of products that contain HEK cells." is wrong. The idea of using fetal stem cell derivatives to check for a stimulus based on synthetic flavors is apparently accurate. Ralph Shortey was convicted of child sex trafficking after a plea deal when faced with four federal sex trafficking and child pornography charges (LOL). Now use this information to make a conscious decision on how you want to proceed.
