June 07, 2019
Moms Across America Asks Impossible Foods and Funder Temasek to Drop GMOs
Recently, Moms Across America (MAA) learned that Impossible Foods is using GMO soy in their Impossible Burger and are getting their burger into hundreds of restaurant chains like Burger King
without labeling or giving a warning to consumers. Celebs such as Katy Perry, Serena Williams, Jay-Z and Trevor Noah funded the vegan burger. Then consumers began posting that they were having allergic reactions, and yet no recall was conducted, and no warnings were issued. As a mother of a child who has nearly died before my eyes from food I gave him, and also saw him get better when we avoided GMOs and glyphosate, I did what any mother in my position would do: I initiated Moms Across America to commission the testing of the GMO Impossible Burger for glyphosate, a chemical found in Roundup. Glyphosate has been scientifically proven to cause liver disease (which weakens the immune system), destroy gut bacteria (which can lead to inflammation and allergies), and contribute to hormone disruption, birth defects, miscarriages, and cancer.
… every part per billion of glyphosate is harmful to human and animal
life and should be avoided to reduce the total body burden of toxins.
The test results were disturbing. The levels of glyphosate in the Impossible Burger, although below the levels irresponsibly considered “safe” by the EPA and others misled to believe in the EPA’s science,
have been proven to cause harm in a myriad of ways. We understand the
argument some are using: compared to other foods, with thousands of
parts per billion of glyphosate, the Impossible Burger levels are not as
high and therefore not as worrisome. We assert that the Impossible
Foods company has an opportunity to change the levels of glyphosate in their foods
and that every part per billion of glyphosate is harmful to human and
animal life and should be avoided to reduce the total body burden of
toxins.Toxins, such as those in glyphosate herbicides, are more impactful on children who do not have the ability to detoxify the way adults do, as their liver and kidneys are not fully developed. The toxins in glyphosate herbicides and GMOs are also never tested synergistically with other toxins in the food supply. In addition, bioaccumulation over years can have long-term health effects which are not being considered by Impossible Foods.
We certainly agree with Impossible Foods CEO, Pat Brown, that providing an alternative solution to Concentrated Animal Factory Operation (CAFO) is a noble cause. We applaud and support their efforts to raise awareness about these tragic and harmful practices.
We find, however, that their use of GMO ingredients does not fulfill their mission:
Impossible Foods’ goal is to transform the global food system, improve public health, and preserve biodiversity — with an approach rooted in science, consumer choice, and transparency.
Transform the food system
By using GMO soy, which is currently 93% of soy crops in the USA, Impossible Foods is not transforming the current mono-crop agriculture system, they are supporting it. It is understandable that Impossible Foods, which has raised over 387.5 million, from backers such as Temasek from Singapore , intends for the Impossible Burger to reduce the amount of CAFO animals eaten and their impact on the planet regarding climate change. What they are not acknowledging, however, is that growing GMO soy decreases the soil’s ability to sequester carbon, and is very harmful to the soil quality and environment, including other animals in the environment. By supporting GMO soy, Impossible Foods is supporting the GMO agrochemical industry and contributing to our climate crisis and harm to wildlife and marine life.
… Moms Across America commissioned testing of five childhood vaccines for glyphosate and all five came back positive.
Since releasing the Impossible Burger
test results starting with Impossible Foods “unofficial response” which
was repeated by other writers, Moms Across America has been attacked for
being anti-vaccine. These unfortunate articles filled with name-calling
led to MAA learning that Impossible Burger’s funders, Temasek, also
funds pharmaceutical companies and vaccine development. Impossible
Foods and Temasek have an opportunity to not only transform the food
industry by shifting their purchases from GMO soy to organic
regeneratively farmed ingredients, but contribute to vaccine safety as
well. It may sound like a leap…but stay with me.Vaccine manufacturers use ingredients from animals fed GMOs (with high glyphosate residues) such as gelatin from pigs. Due to the GMO ingredients in vaccines, Moms Across America commissioned testing of five childhood vaccines for glyphosate and all 5 came back positive.
If Impossible Foods and Temasek took on leadership in requiring non GMO, regeneratively farmed organic soy, making non GMO soy more available, and eventually the agriculture industry stopped growing GMO soy/spraying glyphosate on grains, we believe the contamination of vaccines with glyphosate weed killer would stop and vaccine damage would decrease.
The current rates for autism, or what most parents of children with autism call vaccine injury, is between 1 in 34 to 1 in 59 children depending on the state of residence. This is clearly a national crisis which calls for all hands on deck, including food manufacturers and vaccine manufacturers.
Moms Across America is asking Impossible Foods and Temasek to drop GMOs and support a shift of healthier food and vaccine products. This move would be a win-win-win-win for consumers, farmer/laborer safety, the manufacturer’s bottom line long term, and the planet.
There
are thousands of studies showing that GMOs and glyphosate contribute to
a variety of types of harm—organ damage, liver disease, reproductive
issues, cancer and more in animals, marine life, and humans.
Improve public health
Unfortunately, by providing a product that is likely to be (it’s not labeled so we don’t know) 80% GMO or sprayed with glyphosate, MAA believes Impossible Foods is contributing to the decline of public health. There are thousands of studies showing that GMOs and glyphosate contribute to a variety of types of harm—organ damage, liver disease, reproductive issues, cancer and more in animals, marine life, and humans. Ignoring this science has grave consequences, both for human health and for the integrity and long-term viability of any food company.Preserve biodiversity
Numerous studies have shown that the agrochemicals used in GMO farming REDUCE diversity by killing insects, and therefore birds and other wildlife. They also destroy the beneficial microbes in the soil, decrease earthworm populations and organic matter, decrease the soil’s ability to sequester carbon (which contributes to our climate crisis) and decrease nutrient density in the crops. GMO agrochemicals also runoff into waterways and contribute to toxic cyanobacteria, the heating of the water’s temperature, and again, contribute to our climate crisis.
Recent
lawsuits against Monsanto/Bayer, the main promoter of GMOs and
agrochemicals like Roundup (glyphosate-based herbicide), have exposed
Monsanto employees to be the ghost writers of “science” which “showed”
that glyphosate is not harmful.
Approach rooted in science
Moms Across America loves truthful and peer-reviewed science that reveals a new understanding of health and our environment. We wonder, what science is Impossible Foods using? Funded by whom? Recent lawsuits against Monsanto/Bayer, the main promoter of GMOs and agrochemicals like Roundup (glyphosate-based herbicide), have exposed Monsanto employees to be the ghost writers of “science” which “showed” that glyphosate is not harmful. Given this track record, wouldn’t it behoove Impossible Foods and their investors to consider alternative, independent sources which have shown glyphosate to be carcinogenic and GMOs to be harmful?Consumer choice
How do the consumers have an INFORMED choice in restaurants if the ingredients, properly labeled as GMO, and contaminating herbicides, are not on the menu?Transparency
We invite Impossible Burger to be transparent and to require restaurants to disclose that GMOs and glyphosate and people have had anaphylactic shock after eating their product. OR, to change the ingredients to non-GMO soy and organic ingredients. Even better, to TRULY transform the food industry use your buying power, Impossible Foods, to support the expansion of regenerative organic agriculture and commit to using regeneratively grown, organic ingredients.At Moms Across America we exist to educate and inspire mothers and others to transform the food industry and environment, creating healthy communities together. We sincerely hope that Impossible Foods will work to truly transform the food industry by supporting the Regenerative Organic Agriculture movement and providing safe, non-toxic, non-GMO, and organic food.
“It will be challenging, but not impossible to provide an organic, regeneratively grown vegan burger to the public,” states Honeycutt, “It’s going to take bold leadership and support for farmers to make the transition. Will Impossible Foods and Temasek lead the way for a healthier planet by discussing the benefits of regenerative farming with experts like Dr. Zach Bush and farmers at Farmer’s Footprint?”
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