human gelatine - feel sick at the thought!

[nightcat]

[[http://news.uk.msn.com/odd-news/human-gelatin-to-be-used-in-snacks
here]]

time to give up all processed foods methinks

oh but it's noit like they're actually getting it from human bodies. just using dna to grow it

tbh the thought of any kind of gelatine is pretty gross isn't it?

well, we know what happened when we fed sheep to cows...

I don't have a problem with animal-derived jelly (sweet or savoury) and I think it helps to build connective tissue, but I would hate to know human version is hidden in foods and I doubt it would be shown on the label, then what

I don't get why they would want to do it - there are other vegetarian gelling agents if they want to avoid using animal gelatine. I don't see any need for a new (controversial) product - there isn't a gap in the market for it

i am pretty sure it would have to be shown on the label... but like i say, it isn't actually from human bodies is it? it's just using human dna to build gelatine

i don't think it would work for most veggies though tbh!

I don't actually think I have a problem with it. BUT, I do think that if animals are being slaughtered then it makes sense to use as much of them as possible... so if gelatine is basically a by-product of the meat industry then that's as it should be.
If we start creating gelatine elsewhere then a whole lot of piggy cowwy goodness is gonna just get chucked

Sorry, but what a ridiculous headline. Just because they can produce gelatin from human DNA in a laboratory there is absolutely no grounds for saying it would be 'used in snacks'. Aside from the horrendous ethical questions, and the PR disaster that would ensue if a company was found to be using a product derived this way, gelatin is a by-product of the meat-industry ie. dirt cheap to mass-produce in vast quantities. There may be some legitimate application for a gelatin derived from human DNA.... but sticking it in wine gums, it certainly ain't.

Not sure this is for real - is it a spoof?

I doubt it is a spoof. It sounds like par for the main course. What about fish DNA in ice cream?

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-394842/Food-giant-seeks-licence-controversial-GM-ice-cream.html

Don't expect the official 'five-a-day advisors' to say anything about it. They'll just keep telling you to cut down on salt.

There's a lot of gelatine-based medical products out there - some drip fluids, absorbable sutures, foams etc. A humanDNAbased version would have a niche there.

I doubt anyone would be using it to make a trifle.

Congratulations OP.

This is truly the most disgusting thing I have ever read on MN. And I have been here for 6 years. I am shaking now.

That's my concern claig, it's GM food by the back door

Yes, it'll be everywhere and our official five-a-day advisors will say nothing.
That's the power of the big business lobbies.

Nightcat I think you are being spectacularly gullible. The only person saying it may have a food application is the person that has developed it... and that possibility is quickly dismissed in the article, despite the headline. Claig I hope you're being sarcastic.

Mumsnet I love you. So reassuringly rational.

It's not made of humans.

It's made by yeast, to a human recipe.

If you are going to make yeast grow gelatine, for use in products that humans will use, why would you not use the human recipe?

Agree with thisisyesterday and cogito