To simulate various flavors in processed foods, some food manufacturers are using aborted fetal cells to test artificial chemical enhancers that millions of Americans consume every day.

Is it ethical or immoral to use cells from dead human babies to test artificial chemical enhancers?

Some companies that specialize in developing food flavorings use aborted embryonic cells to create “isolated human taste receptors,” which are then used in the production process of chemicals for artificial flavoring.

Some of the products you consume right now use this process in the production of cheese, soda, and chocolate.

---

Where this gets complicated:

The cells being used come from a single sample taken over 40 years ago. They do not need a supply of fresh human babies to keep the process going. One sample can reproduce cells for a plethora of test cases over an untold number of years. So there is no baby killing machine that needs to be fed a routine number of children to keep products on the shelves at your local market.

Also, the cells are used for testing, not deployment, so there is no intention of adding human cells to your food supply.

With that said we are advancing to the next stage of human development and ethics will increasingly become an issue in the production and testing of materials and services used by human beings.

Given our history is it wise to blur the line on any level between raw material and human life?