GMO Impossible Burger Positive for Carcinogenic Glyphosate

Updated July 8, 2019

A Monsanto trial jury awarded the plaintiffs over $2 billion dollars, for the connection between the glyphosate-based herbicide, Roundup, and their cancer. Today, Moms Across America announces that the Impossible Burger* tested positive for glyphosate. The levels of glyphosate detected in the Impossible Burger by Health Research Institute Laboratories were 11x higher than the Beyond Meat Burger. The total result (glyphosate and its break down AMPA) was 11.3 ppb. Moms Across America also tested the Beyond Meat Burger and the results were 1 ppb.

“Healthy” Eating

“We are shocked to find that the Impossible Burger can contain so much glyphosate. Samples of each burger were tested. Impossible Burger can have up to 11x higher levels of glyphosate residues than the Beyond Meat Burger. This new product is being marketed as a solution for ‘healthy’ eating. In fact, 11 ppb of glyphosate herbicide consumption can be highly dangerous. Only 0.1 ppb of glyphosate has been shown to alter the gene function of over 4000 genes in the livers, kidneys and cause severe organ damage in rats.**** I am gravely concerned that consumers are being misled to believe the Impossible Burger is healthy.” stated Zen Honeycutt, Executive Director of Moms Across America.

On the Menu

The Impossible Burger is a new genetically modified (GM) plant-based product. It was prominently featured at the Natural Products Expo West. Burger King, White Castle, Hard Rock Cafe, Red Robin, Cheesecake Factory** and hundreds of other restaurants now carry the product. In restaurants, the Impossible Burger does not have to be labeled or described as GM on the menu. The Impossible Burger is made of GMO soy, which has been shown to cause organ damage in animal studies and has been shown to be significantly different from non-GMO soy.

The GM ingredients of the Impossible Burger, which includes a genetically modified yeast and GM soy leghemoglobin proteins, 46 of which are undisclosed and untested, are even more concerning to many consumers than the long-term health effects from glyphosate because of the reported immediate allergic reaction potential, which is acknowledged by the manufacturer. The Impossible Burger uses a genetically modified soy that has never before been allowed in the human food supply. Nor has it been properly safety tested.

Although the leghemoglobin soy is claimed to be “identical to soy heme which has been consumed for thousands of years”, the following question posed by Consumers Report’s Michael Hansen has never been answered: “How could the heme in the Impossible Burger be ‘identical’ to the heme humans have been consuming for hundreds of thousands of years in meat and other foods if you genetically engineer it?”

***UPDATED

Impossible Burger Ingredients: (All ingredients in red could be GMO OR sprayed with glyphosate herbicides as a drying agent)
Water, Soy Protein Concentrate, Coconut Oil, Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavors, 2% or less of: Potato Protein, Methylcellulose (possibly from cotton), Yeast Extract, Cultured Dextrose, Food Starch Modified, Soy Leghemoglobin, Salt, Soy Protein Isolate, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E), Zinc Gluconate, Thiamine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Sodium Ascorbate (Vitamin C), Niacin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Vitamin B12.

Glyphosate

Soy, sugar, and cotton are commonly sprayed with glyphosate herbicides as a drying agent before harvesting. The “natural” product – which could contain more than 80% GMO ingredients- also contains potatoes, which may be genetically modified, and could also absorb the chemical through the soil after pre-planting herbicide applications. Glyphosate does not wash, dry, or cook-off and was listed on the Prop 65 California EPA list of carcinogens in 2017.

Glyphosate herbicides have not only been proven to be carcinogenic, but they are also neurotoxic, endocrine disrupting, cause DNA damage and liver disease at ultra-low levels, lower than what was found in the Impossible Burger.

According to the American Liver Foundation over 100 million people in America, (that’s about 1/3 of Americans) are estimated to have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Glyphosate herbicide is also widely sprayed on animal feed, which harms the health of animals, so supporting the use of this herbicide by consuming the Impossible Burger and other non-organic products is an animal welfare issue as well.

The impact glyphosate and GMO have on products can no longer be ignored. Honeycutt considers, “What if Bayer goes bankrupt? They could, due to the outcome of about 14,000 lawsuits filed against them for the carcinogenic effects of glyphosate herbicides. Who will become liable for harm to the public? I wonder if it will be retailers and food brands who continue to expose the public to toxic glyphosate herbicides.”

Real Food

Moms Across America (MAA) calls upon consumers to ask their restaurant and grocery stores not to sell this product and to sell/buy/eat whole, organic, plant-based, real food instead. They also request public comments be made to the EPA to cancel the license for glyphosate. Glyphosate herbicides have been severely restricted or banned in 34 countries.

Moms Across America is a 501c3 non-profit. Our mission is to educate mothers and others to transform the food industry and environment, creating healthy communities together. Their motto is Empowered Moms, Healthy Kids.

*Impossible Burger is manufactured by Impossible Foods.

** Article corrected from Del Taco and Carl’s Jr-they carry the Beyond Meat Burger.

*** Updated May 18, 2019, to include all current ingredients. The Impossible Burger no longer contains wheat. 

**** Updated May 18, 2019, with links to organ and kidney damage. Glyphosate has also been shown to destroy gut bacteria at ” safe” levels as well.