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Joe Rogan has slammed the Impossible Burger – saying it is unhealthy.
The podcaster and comedian made the comments during a recent episode of his podcast with stand-up comedian and actor Andrew Santino.
The high-tech Impossible Burger recently launched at Burger King as part of a vegetarian version of the eatery’s famous Whopper sandwich. Impossible Foods is currently seeking approval to sell the patty in Europe.
Oils
“It’s processed oils,” he said. “[The Impossible Burger is] mostly oils. Its like oils from vegetables, it’s very strange.
“Those processed vegetable oils are terrible for you. You know what’s good for you? Olive oil, that’s a good vegetable oil. Avocado oil is good for you. But all that other sh*t – canola, and all that other stuff is f*cking terrible for you.”
Rat studies
Rogan then pulled up an article titled Rat Feeding Study Suggests the Impossible Burger May Not Be Safe To Eat published by GMO Science.
“Rats fed the genetically modified yeast-derived protein soy leghemoglobin – the burger’s key ingredient – developed unexplained changes in weight gain and signs of toxicity,” he read.
“A rat feeding study commissioned by the manufacturer Impossible Foods found that rats fed soy leghemoglobin developed unexplained changes in weight gain, changes in the blood that can indicate the onset of inflammation or kidney disease, and possible signs of anemia
“Impossible Foods dismissed these statistically significant effects as ‘non-adverse’ or as having ‘no toxicological relevance’,” Rogan continued to read from the article.
Study results
Rogan said he believed Impossible Foods was dismissing the results of the study because ‘it’s not convenient’.
“It’s real simple,” he added. “You do rat studies it doesn’t necessarily mean it transfers to people…this isn’t the only thing I’ve read. I’ve read things by an actual nutritionist who said ‘you want to be on a plant-based diet, eat real foods. You can eat healthy on a plant-based diet’.”
Heme
In a statement about the safety of heme on its website, Impossible Foods states: “Nothing is more important to us than your health and safety. Impossible Foods fully complies with all U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations and has gone above and beyond strict compliance, providing extensive test data to the FDA. The FDA reviewed our data and gave us a ‘no-questions letter’ validating the safety of our soy leghemoglobin.
“This required rigorous testing, including a stringent rat feeding study — which found no adverse effects even at consumption levels extraordinarily higher than a human would ever consume. Curious about our decision to conduct animal testing? Read this letter from our CEO.
“The heme in the Impossible Burger is identical to the heme humans have been consuming for hundreds of thousands of years – in meat from animals and other foods. We have a team of world-class researchers who are committed to making the best meat, dairy, and fish on the planet.”
