GMO Impossible Burger Positive for Carcinogenic Glyphosate - Moms Across America

GMO Impossible Burger Positive for Carcinogenic Glyphosate

GMO Impossible Burger Tests 11X Higher for Glyphosate Weed Killer Residue than Beyond Meat Burger

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 11 X 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.

“We are shocked to find that the Impossible Burger can have up to 11X higher levels of glyphosate residues than the Beyond Meat Burger according to these samples tested. This new product is being marketed as a solution for “healthy” eating, when 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.

The Impossible Burger is a new genetically modified (GM) plant-based product that 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 where it 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 part of the genetically modified soy used in the Impossible Burger has never before been allowed in the human food supply and has not 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.

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, “If Bayer goes bankrupt 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.”

Moms Across America 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 hopes that companies like Impossible Foods are not only honest about their ingredients, and make safe food- but that they work with other food manufacturers and farmers to pressure the EPA to stop allowing toxic chemicals like glyphosate to poison the food supply. 
 
Will Impossible Foods ask the EPA to ban glyphosate and prevent the contamination of their product?

Moms Across America is a 501c3 non-profit whose mission is to educate mother 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.

For Immediate Release
[email protected]


Showing 30 reactions

Please check your e-mail for a link to activate your account.
  • Rao Usman
    commented 2022-03-18 08:21:27 -0400
    Very informative and Clear blog. It became more interesting as i came down wile reading. <a> Fat Burner</a> methods are welly studied and clear. Highly appreciated!
  • Jean M. Wilson
    commented 2021-08-03 23:48:35 -0400
    This is just amazing to me, a friend of mine referred me to read all of this, and such great research work but thanks to my nutritionist friend for assisting me to burn my calories in a simple meal and supplement plan from
    <a href=“”https://nutritionalworld.com.pk/best-fat-burner-in-pakistan/" rel="nofollow">https://nutritionalworld.com.pk/best-fat-burner-in-pakistan/" rel=“nofollow”>Fat burners and women health care ✌</a>
  • Melina Walker
    commented 2021-06-23 12:07:07 -0400
    This is a very informative article about GMO impossible burgers. A burger is a healthy and faty food I have a food supplement which burns your fat and makes you smart. Visit here: https://www.bravonutrition.pk/
  • Jack Phelps
    commented 2019-12-12 22:59:32 -0500
    I’ll continue to eat real meat as nature intended us to.
  • Edward Tajchman
    commented 2019-11-02 22:05:34 -0400
    GMO foods are produced by large companies like Monsanto. The use of pesticides in the growing of these crops, regardless how much ends up in the final food product (often a lot), contributes to the decline of the bee and bird population (our pollinators). The areas in which pesticides are sprayed are devoid of the web of life. A chain reaction of the collapse of natural ecosystems begins when this happens. This is a great reason to eat organic – because when you do not, you support an unnatural method of agriculture that is unsustainable and destroys the environment. This is not scare tactics – it is basic facts based upon easily perceived patterns of natural systems in conflict with conventional non-organic agriculture.
  • Michael Mclaughlin
    commented 2019-10-24 14:15:13 -0400
    I have been a vegan for a number of years. I am not a ZEALOT. There is no known scientific study proving eating GMO food is bad for your body. GMO does NOT cause cancer. Organic vegetables do not have more nutrition, they might have more miniscule insecticides and pesticides that are easily washed away. You ZEALOTS do more harm than good with this hysteria that we are all eating poison with every meal. Plus any negative publicity about any meat alternative, I have to read the fine print to make sure the meat industry is not behind the bashing,
  • Jack Spence
    commented 2019-08-24 12:36:57 -0400
    I tried the “Beyond Meat” burger. At first I was impressed but afterwards I felt “off”. I can’t really say why. The symptoms appear like clockwork each time I eat it. Maybe it’s the processing or the glyphosate. “Impossible Burgers” are definitely off the list for now, with 11 times more glyphosate. I’m back to organic grass fed hamburger. – Sorry cows. I’m definitely cutting back on meat. Maybe there will be an organic version of these “funny” burgers in the future.
  • Mimi Mathieu
    commented 2019-08-23 18:40:00 -0400
    Wow this is scary
  • Hadel Toma
    commented 2019-08-14 04:25:48 -0400
    I eat organic plant based vegan whole foods. Never would I send a animal to die for protein.
  • Melissa Moris
    commented 2019-07-31 23:43:58 -0400
    If you’re genuinely concerned about your kid’s health you will think twice about this
    https://amp.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/general-info/known-and-probable-human-carcinogens.html
  • Melissa Moris
    commented 2019-07-31 23:32:10 -0400
    I wonder what kind of soybeans are fed to livestock 🤔
  • Melissa Moris
    commented 2019-07-31 23:30:52 -0400
    Hi! Did you know that glyphosate is on the same list of “probable human carcinogens” as consumption of red meat? And processed meat? Do you feed that to your children? Just wondering.
  • Tim White
    commented 2019-07-21 15:44:23 -0400
    Thanks for the link which mostly confirms info from other sources. I do think that exaggeration and hyperbole can discredit any source px “filled with glyphosate.”
    Non-GMO is irrelevant given the use of Roundup as dessicant which works because they are not GMO tolerant.
    And since even Organic may have residues the issues are related to how much and how to mitigate the unavoidable exposure.
  • Todd Honeycutt
    commented 2019-07-21 12:59:29 -0400
    We are only stating what we found. We do not state that Beyond Burger is or is not a safe alternative. It does have fewer ingredients that are likely to be GMO however, and in this batch of testing, it had far lower glyphosate residues. We have reported on testing for dozens of companies and simply state our results. Also, Beyond Burger did not donate or sponsor Moms Across America and we have had no correspondence with them.
  • Tim White
    commented 2019-07-21 12:48:18 -0400
    I don’t see the information here as propaganda or in any way misleading. Readers should appreciate being able to reach their own conclusions given objective data. Or do you prefer the preschool version?
  • Greg Kochanowski
    commented 2019-07-21 11:33:27 -0400
    This sounds like an ad for Beyond Burger.
    Are they a donor to your organization?

    “The levels of glyphosate detected in the Impossible burger by Health Research Institute Laboratories were 11 X higher than the Beyond Meat Burger. The total result (glyphosate and it’s break down AMPA) was 11.3 ppb. Moms Across America also tested the Beyond Meat Burger and the results were 1 ppb.”

    “Only 0.1 ppb of glyphosate has been shown to alter the gene function of over 4000 genes in the livers, kidneys and severe organ damage in rats.”

    So that means the Beyond Burger is 10X the acceptable levels of glyphosate…..ALSO not safe. You make it sound as if Beyond Burger is the safe alternative.
  • Lawrence Gold
    commented 2019-06-09 11:41:23 -0400
    You would do better and have a higher ethical stand if you took on Monsanto.
  • Bobby 道勢
    commented 2019-06-08 16:19:08 -0400
    Could easily help change the world by insisting his company’s supplier uses only non-GMO, organic soybeans. But ala$ there’s always something more $ini$ter at work if people would just do a little homework.

    This food is tra$h!
  • Tim White
    commented 2019-06-04 12:44:57 -0400
    Good work! Smoke out the rats.
    Beyond Meat burger does taste as good as most hamburgers. Maybe there is something to learn in how they did it without adopting their toxic practices. I wrote to them asking about the glyphosate content and they said they would get back to me. Hahaha…
  • Jackson Facts
    commented 2019-05-31 01:16:09 -0400
    The Medium article written by Rachel Konrad not only misquotes this article, but attacks, smears, and maligns Moms Across America and the factual science provided here. On social media Impossible Foods is actively denying that their burger has 11X more glyphosate than Beyond Meat’s. Thank you for this article!
  • Mary Cummins
    commented 2019-05-19 17:26:14 -0400
  • Mary Cummins
    commented 2019-05-19 13:10:57 -0400
    I just looked at the lab results. They confirm my suspicion that the Impossible Burger sample came from a restaurant meal. The glyphosate could have been in vegetable oil used on the grill, lettuce, tomato, pickle, mayo, cheese, ketchup … in fully assembled burger. There was no proper chain of custody of the sample. When I sent Petag formula to the lab I only sent just received unopened bag to the lab. That way I knew my results were reliable. The test should be done an an Impossible Burger patty by itself before it’s been contaminated with other items. I will contact Impossible Burger and see if they’ve had an independent lab tests.
  • Liam Hess
    commented 2019-05-19 12:34:19 -0400
    This appears to only be part of the lab report. Can you please also post the chain of custody with sample preservation methods and QC data? Thanks!
  • Carla Johnston
  • Carla Johnston
    commented 2019-05-18 22:29:34 -0400
  • Mary Cummins
    commented 2019-05-18 22:11:45 -0400
    The Impossible Burger is not sold in stores. You’d have to go to a restaurant and buy the burger with bun, lettuce, tomato… Is that what you did? If so, the other vegetables could have been the cause of existence of glyphosate. Could you please post the lab results. Thanks.
  • Carla Johnston
    commented 2019-05-18 11:32:05 -0400
    Life-critical/saving info Zen!!! Aside from these “future of protein” poison pucks being loaded with glyphosate, all isolated proteins are neurotoxins/excitotoxins. Pea protein and/or soy protein in addition to yeast extract, maltodextrin, caarageenan, sugar, salt (vs. sea salt) are highly neurotoxic and are endocrine disruptors to our bodies. Unlike a whole pea that in nature is ONLY AND ALWAYS an L-glutamate, which your body produces and therefore recognizes, a “isolated, hydrolyzed or autolyzed” ________ protein is ONLY AND ALWAYS a D-glutamate which is a “free of protein” bond which is a foreign invader in your body. A D-glutamate is MSG and explains why you’d be thirsty upon consuming these poisons pucks. BODY SCREAMING: FLOOD ME WITH WATER TO GET THESE TOXINS OUT OF ME…. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE SHARE THE LOVE BUZZZ TO HELP OTHERS OUT. Triple-board certified ZACH BUSH SAID, "if these synthetic frankenmeats are the future of protein, they will surely be the death toll on humanity… WE VOTE WITH THE VOICE OF OUR UNITED DOLLARS, IN ACTION…. ONE-BITE, ONE-HEART AND ONE-PERSON-AT-A-TIME!
  • Ann Medeiros
    commented 2019-05-18 09:52:17 -0400
    Beyond Meat…much better option it appears?
  • Nici Robinson
    commented 2019-05-16 16:59:18 -0400
    Wow! That is crazy. One minor correction, however. In the third paragraph, you state that Impossible burger is being served at Carl’s Jr and Del Taco. Both of those places are serving Beyond Meat, not Impossible.
  • Alan Zweibel
    commented 2019-05-16 12:16:48 -0400
    Fantastic article, Zen!
    Who knew???

Follow Us Here