Posted on 12/17/2017 10:40:21 AM PST by Morgana
After months of pro-life protests and opposition, PepsiCo has indicated it will alter its contract with biotech firm Senomyx Inc., which uses cells from a baby killed in an abortion to conduct flavor testing.
The second-largest beverage company in the world contracted with the firm in a $30 million deal in August 2010 and once Debi Vinnedge of the pro-life group Children of God for Life uncovered the connection, numerous pro-life groups, including LifeNews, joined together to promote a boycott of Pepsi until it ends the Senomyx contract.
Vinnedge informed LifeNews today of Pepsi’s decision and hailed it as a major breakthrough and achievement by thousands of concerned consumers who have been writing and boycotting PepsiCo beverages since last May.
In a letter to her group, PepsiCo’s VP of Global Public Policy, Paul Boykas stated that “Senomyx will not use HEK cells or any other tissues or cell lines derived from human embryos or fetuses for research performed on behalf of PepsiCo.”
“We took the matter very seriously,” stated Mr. Boykas. “We have an official Statement on Responsible Research and we intend to live by that policy.”
That policy precludes any research by PepsiCo — or third parties they fund — from using human tissue or cell lines derived from embryos or babies who are victimized by abortions.
Vinnedge told LifeNews the PepsiCo decision means an immediate end to the boycott that began in May 2011– welcome news to both PepsiCo and their customers who have abstained from their favorite beverages in protest.
“We are absolutely thrilled with PepsiCo’s decision. They have listened to their customers and have made both a wise and profound statement of corporate integrity that deserves the utmost respect, admiration and support of the public.”
“Senomyx receives royalties for products sold using their ingredients. If they do not use aborted fetal cell lines, they offend no one; if they do, they most certainly offend at least half of US consumers who are pro-life. But Children of God for Life also heard from a number of women who stated they were pro choice yet this use of aborted fetal cell lines, crossed the line and angered them as well,” she added.
“If for no other reason, it only makes financial sense for both Senomyx and their collaborators to avoid a substantial loss of potential market,” Vinnedge said. “Senomyx needs to stop using the aborted fetal cell lines entirely and we will continue to pressure them to do so.”
Vinnedge noted that the company had conducted internal discussions, recognizing it was a highly sensitive and controversial subject that was not in the best interests of PepsiCo.
Brad Mattes, Executive Director of Life Issues Institute, one of thirty-five pro-life organizations that joined Children of God for Life in the boycott, also weighed in on the decision.
CLICK LIKE IF YOU’RE PRO-LIFE!
“We are grateful to PepsiCo and especially to all those who sent a loud and clear message to the management of this company. It’s incumbent upon us to closely monitor the situation to be sure that PepsiCo remains true to their word,” he said. “There are moral cell lines Senomyx can and should be using — not just for PepsiCo research but for all their customers.”
Vinnedge is strongly encouraging the public to take one more important step: write to PepsiCo and thank them — and then go buy your favorite Pepsi products to celebrate.
“Too often we seem to focus on the negatives and forget to take the time to let others know we appreciate their efforts,” stated Vinnedge. “It is our sincere hope that the public will once again rise to the occasion en masse as they did in the boycott — but this time in appreciation and support of PepsiCo.”
ACTION: Contact Pepsico:
Jamie Caulfield, Sr. VP PepsiCo, Inc. 700 Anderson Hill Road Purchase, NY 10577 (914) 253-2000 Email form: http://cr.pepsi.com/usen/pepsiusen.cfm?time=5189878
Like I said have not touched a Pepsi since.
The word you’re looking for is “ewwwe”. I swore off Pepsi and Pepsi products a little bit after 9/11.
The abortion mills are selling dead babies on an industrial scale. That’s how they can afford to finance all those political campaigns.
It follows that industries have found uses for dead babies. When those uses are exposed the true horror will make Hollywood productions pale.
Hitler and Himmler would be proud of Pepsi and the murder mills.
That is such a horrible to have been doing.
On a lesser note. Soda pop as a whole is big factor in bad health worldwide. The wife and I rarely (as in maybe 2 or 3 times a year) have glass of soda pop.
Thanks Morgana.
Horrifying and just gross.
How the hell does THAT work?
“the Senomyx web site says. “Using isolated human taste receptors, we created proprietary taste receptor-based assay systems that provide a biochemical or electronic readout when a flavor ingredient interacts with the receptor.”
When they went to Pepsi “Throwback” and used pure cane sugar it tasted a whole lot better!!!
I still can’t put that chit in my mouth. Just eeew!
Does it say anywhere what, exactly, the cells were used for?
This seems odd on so many levels.
God drinks Coke.
I don’t get it. They had dead babies take the ‘Pepsi Challenge’?
I’m not denying that people are profiting from abortion when they shouldn’t be. But knee jerk reactions causes the jerked knee to look ridiculous.
All HEK293 cells are derived from a single embryo that was aborted in the early 1970s, and cells derived from this embryo’s kidneys have been grown in culture ever since. So this is the result of one single abortion, that took place many years ago and was given consent by the US government. It was just the initial source of this cell line, which is used in almost every single lab doing biology research on the cellular level.
Yes, HEK293 is a human cell line that is derived from the kidneys of a human embryo. These cells have been immortalized so they divide ‘infinitely’ and don’t age / stop dividing as normal cells would do. THIS MEANS: No need to ‘consume’ further aborted fetuses ... or anything else weird. Apart from the fact that the origin of these cells is ONE aborted fetus (>40 years ago) which was definitely not aborted on purpose to make these “pepsi” cells... Using tissues of human origin is nothing unusual in the development and production of many scientific/pharmaceutical products and consumer products, it’s done all over the world ... ... Check the origin of HeLa cells ...
No human kidneys in Pepsi ...No part of these cells will end up in the Pepsi.
Senomyx is using the cells as an assay system to test flavor enhancers. They produce taste receptors (proteins that normally exist in you tongue) in the HEK cells and dump an “enhancer candidate” onto the cells to test for any kind of reaction ...
Discovering and refining the formulation of their product with this kind of assay allows the testing of a large number of candidate chemicals in small time and as the tests are done on human cells to detect health risks directly.
Nothing human goes into the drink, with exception of human waste that falls off the body naturally during production(hair, spit, snot, sweat).
So pepsi, coke, or any other company isn’t lining up at or using abortions from clinics or hospitals.
Yikes! I think I could be sick. I never knew they even did such a thing! Thanks be to God I don’t drink Pepsi, EVER.
Who could do that and swallow? Barbarian brains.
Thanks for the in-depth explanation.
It does turn down the horror factor greatly.
I’ll stick with my diet coke though.
Kinda puts a whole new perspective on Pepsi’s advertising slogan from the 60’s, “It’s Pepsi, for those who think young “
Any word on the other companies: Nestle and Kraft?
“All I wanted was a Pepsi....Just One Pepsi!”
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