Pepsi stops using "aborted fetuses"

[nolongerIFBx]

They don't actually put the "aborted fetal cels" in the drink. In fact, the way the pro-lifers are presenting the issue is entirely off-base. There is a cell line that was started using the cells of ONE aborted fetus. Scientists have cultured these cells and had them reproduce. Cells from this cell line are used for all sorts of medical research. They are also used to test flavoring. They are not added to any drinks. The flavoring is introduced to the cells and scientists (I'm not quite sure how this bit works) are able to determine if humans will like the flavor enhancers. If anything, all of our lovely pepsi beverages have flavor enhancers that were tested on cells that are "descendants" of the cells of an aborted fetus.

Yup- pointed this out when the "Pepsi Uses Aborted Fetuses" showed up on facebook a while back. I am pro-life but going off without checking your facts just makes you look ignorant.

Now if you do want to know about actualy consumption of aborted and stillborn babies - http://m.nbcconnecticut.com/nbcconnecti ... d=mEkopDFp . That is from NBC not Fox News.

[Lily]

Dammit, I was so looking forward to a nice drink of fetus flavoured pepsi and now you're telling me that I can't have that?

I know! Gotta spoil everybody's fun, don't they?

Even if it ever did have aborted fetal cells in it (which it didn't), it's not like people don't eat things that are as disgusting or moreso on a regular basis, from all over the animal kingdom.

[doggie]

Now here people in china were caught with baby pills. literally pills with baby remains and do we hear anything?

[Anxious Girl]

Now here people in china were caught with baby pills. literally pills with baby remains and do we hear anything?

Unborn babies are more important than dead ones though! Just like you have to work hard in order to support your baby when the government has anti-abortion bills!!!!!!!!!!!1!!!!!!!

[Peas n carrots]

This reminds me of my favorite South Park Episode, where Christopher Reeve was regaining the ability to move by sucking a fetus dry. I know, I'm a horrible person but it was so ridiculous that it is almost as ridiculous as drinking dead babies in Pepsi.

[AmyP]

ok- this whole idea of pepsi using cell lines to develop "flavor enhancers" totally squicks me out. Probably they are using the cell lines to determine if the new "flavor enhancers" are fatal to human cells? But if they are developing them in the human cell lines thats just gross, as far as I am concerned.

[twin2]

ok- this whole idea of pepsi using cell lines to develop "flavor enhancers" totally squicks me out. Probably they are using the cell lines to determine if the new "flavor enhancers" are fatal to human cells? But if they are developing them in the human cell lines thats just gross, as far as I am concerned.

No, they would not be "growing" flavor enhancers in cells.

There are two possibilities as to what Pepsi could (if they even are) using HEK293 cells to test flavor enhancers. The first would be, as you mentioned, cellular toxicity. However, HEK293 are not a good model system for this, most likely this work would be done in a hepatic-derived cell line. The second is to use as a "predictor" of pleasant taste, which would be testing if taste receptors, or maybe olfactory receptors, are stimulated by the flavor enhancer. HEK293 cells are highly transfectable, meaning you can give them DNA coding a protein of interest (in the case a taste receptor) and they will make said protein. One can then treat the cells with the flavor enhancer and see it activates the receptor.

[AmyP]

No, they would not be "growing" flavor enhancers in cells.

There are two possibilities as to what Pepsi could (if they even are) using HEK293 cells to test flavor enhancers. The first would be, as you mentioned, cellular toxicity. However, HEK293 are not a good model system for this, most likely this work would be done in a hepatic-derived cell line. The second is to use as a "predictor" of pleasant taste, which would be testing if taste receptors, or maybe olfactory receptors, are stimulated by the flavor enhancer. HEK293 cells are highly transfectable, meaning you can give them DNA coding a protein of interest (in the case a taste receptor) and they will make said protein. One can then treat the cells with the flavor enhancer and see it activates the receptor.

that is more palatable than the idea that they need a cell line to actually generate the flavor enhancer. If you have to grow it up in a human cell line, I don't really want it in my soda.

[ilovetchotchkes]

I'm drinking a pepsi right now. Its delicious...

My girl fetus is wiggling around. Oh noes! she KNOWS!!!!

[Veronica Mars Rover]

Me too! It must've been all the Pepsi Blue I drank as a teenager. Oh how I miss it. It must've had that lesbian additive dye, Indigo #69.

Thanks, Pepsi!

ETA: Pepsi Blue was introduced later than I remembered, so I was older and already living in sweet lesbian bliss. Hmmmm. Must've been the diet Pepsi, then.

I thought I was the only one who drank Pepsi Blue! I don't even like soda most of the time, but I drank that stuff by the case...tasted like melted Icees... (And I'm bi, so it half-worked. :lol: )

[takers401]

No, they would not be "growing" flavor enhancers in cells.

There are two possibilities as to what Pepsi could (if they even are) using HEK293 cells to test flavor enhancers. The first would be, as you mentioned, cellular toxicity. However, HEK293 are not a good model system for this, most likely this work would be done in a hepatic-derived cell line. The second is to use as a "predictor" of pleasant taste, which would be testing if taste receptors, or maybe olfactory receptors, are stimulated by the flavor enhancer. HEK293 cells are highly transfectable, meaning you can give them DNA coding a protein of interest (in the case a taste receptor) and they will make said protein. One can then treat the cells with the flavor enhancer and see it activates the receptor.

How would they know that the taste receptors were stimulated by the flavor enhancer? I have this weird image of a random tongue laying on a table with drops of flavor being given to see if the tongue moves. Obviously that isn't what's happening :D but how do scientists determine stimulation? Does the cell move, change color, grow, shrink, etc? I took mandatory science classes in high school and college but they were never my thing.

[emmiedahl]

How would they know that the taste receptors were stimulated by the flavor enhancer? I have this weird image of a random tongue laying on a table with drops of flavor being given to see if the tongue moves. Obviously that isn't what's happening :D but how do scientists determine stimulation? Does the cell move, change color, grow, shrink, etc? I took mandatory science classes in high school and college but they were never my thing.

I don't know for a fact, but I would bet it involves fluorescent stained complements that bind to the receptor when it is activated. There is often a conformational change in a protein whenever something, anything in your body happens. So a protein is designed that binds to some protein in whatever signaling path is involved in taste, and a fluorescent tag is added. You see a green glow, that means you have activated it. I have not studied taste receptors, but this is the case with olfactory (smelling) ones.

[takers401]

I don't know for a fact, but I would bet it involves fluorescent stained complements that bind to the receptor when it is activated. There is often a conformational change in a protein whenever something, anything in your body happens. So a protein is designed that binds to some protein in whatever signaling path is involved in taste, and a fluorescent tag is added. You see a green glow, that means you have activated it. I have not studied taste receptors, but this is the case with olfactory (smelling) ones.

Interesting. Thanks for the science lesson.

[twin2]

I don't know for a fact, but I would bet it involves fluorescent stained complements that bind to the receptor when it is activated. There is often a conformational change in a protein whenever something, anything in your body happens. So a protein is designed that binds to some protein in whatever signaling path is involved in taste, and a fluorescent tag is added. You see a green glow, that means you have activated it. I have not studied taste receptors, but this is the case with olfactory (smelling) ones.

Direct receptor binding could be one way, the only problem is they wouldn't know if it was an agonist or an antagonist. Most likely they would be measuring calcium concentrations in the cell since when taste receptors are stimulated the lead to increased concentrations of calcium in the cell.