Human taste buds have grown tired of all the flesh and blood we gorge upon daily. To the tickling taste buds, what could be more savory than a cute little baby, killed in the womb itself.
Sounds abhorring? Read on. Senomyx is an American biotechnology company working toward developing additives to amplify certain flavors and smells in foods. The company claims to have essentially “reverse engineered” the receptors in humans that react for taste and aroma, and that they are capitalizing on these discoveries to produce chemicals that make food taste better. Senomyx develops patented flavor enhancers by using “proprietary taste receptor-based assay systems.” These receptors have been previously expressed in HEK293 cells.
HEK stands for human embryonic kidney cells. These cells, originally come from a “healthy, electively aborted human fetus.” Using information from the human genome sequence, Senomyx has identified hundreds of taste receptors and currently owns 113 patents on their discoveries. Senomyx collaborates with seven of the world’s largest food companies to further their research and to fund development of their technology. Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Kraft Foods, Cadbury Adams, PepsiCo, Firmenich SA, Nestlé SA, and Solae all collaborate with Senomyx, but do not specify where its additives may be found in their products.
Sounds abhorring? Read on. Senomyx is an American biotechnology company working toward developing additives to amplify certain flavors and smells in foods. The company claims to have essentially “reverse engineered” the receptors in humans that react for taste and aroma, and that they are capitalizing on these discoveries to produce chemicals that make food taste better. Senomyx develops patented flavor enhancers by using “proprietary taste receptor-based assay systems.” These receptors have been previously expressed in HEK293 cells.
HEK stands for human embryonic kidney cells. These cells, originally come from a “healthy, electively aborted human fetus.” Using information from the human genome sequence, Senomyx has identified hundreds of taste receptors and currently owns 113 patents on their discoveries. Senomyx collaborates with seven of the world’s largest food companies to further their research and to fund development of their technology. Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Kraft Foods, Cadbury Adams, PepsiCo, Firmenich SA, Nestlé SA, and Solae all collaborate with Senomyx, but do not specify where its additives may be found in their products.