What are These Genetically Engineered Flavor Enhancers, and are They Safe? According to a CBS News report from June 2011, 70 out of 77 Senomyx patents9, 10 filed at that time referred to the use of HEK 293.11 These are human embryonic kidney cells originally harvested from a healthy, electively aborted fetus sometime in the 1970s. The HEK identifies the cells as kidney cells, and the 293 denotes that the cells came from the 293rd experiment. These cells have been cloned for decades, as they offer a reliable way to produce new proteins using genetic engineering. Senomyx has engineered HEK293 cells to function like human taste receptor cells,12 presumably such as those used in Pepsi Cos taste-testing robot. This was done by isolating taste receptors found in certain cells, and adding them to the HEK cells. HEK cells are also widely used within pharmaceutical and cell biology research for the same or similar reasons. It is however the first time HEK cells have been used in the food industry, which carries a certain ick factor for many. Theres also the issue of just not knowing how these new flavors are created. As stated in another CBS news report:13 So what exactly is this magic ingredient that will be appearing in a new version of Pepsi, and how is it made? Unfortunately, those questions are hard to answer. Senomyx... refers to them only as enhancers or ingredients... The products work by triggering receptors on the tongue and tricking your taste buds into sensing sweetness — or saltiness or coolness, in the case of the companys other programs... So are Senomyxs covert ingredients safe? That, too, is anyones guess... many of its enhancers have been granted GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) status, but all that means is that the company did its own assessment and then concluded everything was fine. We dont know whether Senomyx did any testing since the company isnt required to submit anything to the FDA.14 Theres no reason to think that Senomyxs products will cause harm, but until or unless Pepsi decides to share details about how exactly its achieving a 60 percent reduction in sugar while keeping the taste the same, customers will be drinking their scientifically advantaged sodas completely in the dark. The lack of labeling requirements is particularly troublesome and will probably become an issue in the future. Since these compounds (whatever they are) are used in such minute quantities, they dont have to be listed on the label. Theyll simply fall under the generic category of artificial and/or natural flavors. What this means is that the product will appear to be much healthier than it might otherwise be, were a flavor enhancer not used. According to a 2010 CBS report,15 Senomyxs flavor enhancers were already being sold outside the US at that time. For example, Nestle was by 2010 using an MSG flavor enhancer in its Maggi brand soups, sauces, condiments and instant noodles, and Ajinomoto was also using a similar ingredient in products for the Chinese market. This means less of the artificial sweetener is needed to create the same sweet taste as before, but while one could argue that this is a good thing, I suspect we will ultimately learn that this flavor enhancement method has multiple unforeseen adverse consequences — metabolically, and biologically.
Posted on: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 16:14:38 +0000
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