We went out to eat the other day and on the menu, right there below the real, 100% pure American beef hamburgers was a “plant-based meat” burger. Well, of course it made me mad right away and I started to rant about it, but then I decided that was silly. I should never rant about something unless I know what I’m ranting about. 

So I went home and began researching fake meat, and what I learned was astonishing. First of all, “plant based” meat is not made of plants alone. It also contains a lot of chemicals that nobody in their right mind would eat! So I decided to spread the word. Here are some of the chemicals that are lurking in “plant based” meat:

 Magnesium Carbonate. This is a common chemical used in flooring, fireproofing and fire-extinguishers. They also put it in plant-based meat to retain color.

Erythosine, (aka Red #3). Years ago the FDA banned Red #3 from use in cosmetics because it was linked to cancer. So you can’t buy a lipstick with Red#3, but it is legal to put it in fake meat. 

Propylene glycol. This stuff is everywhere. It is used in hair-care products and to create artificial smoke used in training firefighters. It is also used as a preservative in foods such as Coca-Cola, salad dressing and dog food. So it’s probably fairly safe, at least in here in America, but it is banned in Europe. Guess they don’t like training their firefighters with hair-care products.

Ferric Orthophosphate. This chemical is used as a pesticide to kill snails and slugs. Although it is deadly for snails and slugs, people can handle it in small quantities.  That’s a good thing, because it is found in plant-based meat.

Tertiary butylhydroquinone. This long tongue-twister is a chemical that prevents discoloration in processed foods. The FDA limits the amount of this stuff that is allowed in foods because it has been associated with cancer in lab animals.

So if you thought ‘plant-based meat’ was something extremely healthy and made from plants alone, you were mistaken. And if you want a hamburger that tastes like a real hamburger, eat real meat.  If you want a mixture that is made from 100% plants, try a bowl of mashed potatoes. And if you’re ever tempted to eat a burger made from “plant-based meat”, remember this: the same chemical that is in that burger killed a whole bunch of snails!