Dear Reader,
It’s been quite astonishing to witness how big food manufacturers have fooled millions of Americans into believing highly processed, “plant-based,” fake foods—like veggie burgers and imitation dairy—are good for human health and for the planet.
When, clearly, they’re a disaster for both.
And now, there’s something that may be even more dangerous brewing in labs around the world that may soon find a place in a grocery store near you…
Cell-cultured “meat.”
Here’s what is it—and why you should be wary of it…
There’s ZERO evidence this Franken-meat is safe
To make cell-cultured “meat,” scientists take stem cells from animals (like cows or chickens) and “nurture” them in test tubes, ultimately turning them into some kind of “edible” “meat.”
Apparently, at least a dozen companies promise to one day grow and sell this newest Frankenfood.Advocates say growing “meat” in this way saves animals and reduces environmental impact.
The problem is, there isn’t a shred of scientific evidence to suggest eating this kind of “Franken-meat” is safe.
In fact, I recently came across an insightful article in Forbes magazine that explained how we’ve seen this complete lack of scientific process once before…when the now-defunct bio-tech start-up Theranos made wild promises about creating a hassle-free, pin-prick blood test for conditions like cancer and Type II diabetes.
Of course, the much-hyped blood tests never materialized. And Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of Theranos, was convicted of defrauding investors earlier this year. She now faces a maximum jail sentence of 20 years.
The Forbes author said we can make several comparisons between Theranos and cell-cultured meat companies. In fact, he says they both:
1.) Insist “it will work one day.”
Elizabeth Holmes claimed in court that she didn’t intend to defraud investors. She said she believed that even if the promised technology wasn’t currently working, it would “somehow” turn out to work at some ill-defined point in the future.
Now we’re hearing this kind of same claim about cell-cultured meat.
Inventors always want investors to give it more time. But sometimes, science just hits a dead end—and the scientists need to be honest about what’s possible and what isn’t.
2.) Raise ridiculous amounts of money.
Theranos had investors knocking down their doors. In fact, they raised almost $1 billion in seed money. And now we’re seeing the same kind of thing with cell-cultured meat companies.
But remember, just because a company’s stock may be good for the stock portfolios of early investors doesn’t mean the product it promotes is good for your body!
3.) Get high-profile endorsements and funding from celebrities and politicos.
Holmes courted well-connected power players—like two former U.S. Secretaries of State (Henry Kissinger and George Schulz) and media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
Now, cell-cultured meat companies have received backing from high-profile celebrities, such as Leonardo DiCaprio.
But you should NEVER trust your health to celebrities or political power players. Instead, as I always urge, follow the science.
Of course, in the case of Theranos, when scientists within the company started expressing concerns, they were fired. Two of them later became “whistleblowers” to expose the fraud. And that brings me to the final comparison, where both companies…
4.) Hide the science. (A HUGE red flag.)
In court, Holmes tried to claim we should blame the scientists at Theranos—and not her—for failing to deliver on promises!
But the jury didn’t bite. They charged her, as CEO, with four counts of intentionally deceiving investors.
Of course, lots of for-profit companies rely on scientists. But as you probably learned about in middle school biology class, these scientists should still have to follow the “scientific method.” Which means other scientists should be able to follow their work exactly…and get similar results.
The problem is, instead of exemplifying the scientific method, Theranos hid behind the curtain of protecting “trade secrets.” And now, cell-cultured meat companies are doing the same thing. They don’t make the science open for other scientists to review. And that’s a HUGE red flag (for prospective red meat). Especially when we’re talking about food you may put into your body!
Consumers have the right to transparency. And we should always know what we’re potentially eating. Isn’t that what the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are all about?!
It’s all looks like another huge, money-making scam
In the end, the whole cell-cultured meat enterprise looks like another big, huge scam. And it doesn’t look like it’s going away any time soon.
Just remember, no matter how much hype surrounds these cell-cultured “meats,” there’s simply NO EVIDENCE to suggest they’re good for you…or even safe!
So, instead of jumping on the fake meat bandwagon, stay with a balanced, wholesome, time-tested, Mediterranean-type diet that gives your body what it really wants AND needs—real meat and full-fat dairy from organically raised, free-range, grass-fed and -finished cattle and poultry. After all, it’s what humans have been eating naturally for thousands of years!
I also encourage you to get as much of your food as possible from local, organic sources. It’s far safer than entrusting your health to something made in a factory…or a lab!
Lastly, if you want to learn more about the dangers of fake foods and poor nutritional choices, check out the current issue of my monthly newsletter, Insiders’ Cures (“‘Malnutrition due to misinformation’: Don’t let the headlines fool you…you NEED key dietary components for optimum health”).
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