Truth: Campbell Soup
Within hours of our press release, Children of God for Life received notice from Campbell Soup that they have severed their ties with Senomyx.
Stated Juli Mandel Sloves, Senior Manager of Nutrition & Wellness Communications at Campbell Soup Company, “We are no longer in partnership with Senomyx.
This fact was discussed during the Senomyx conference call with its investors earlier this month.”
Unlike other companies that claimed they had no relationship with Senomyx, Campbell Soup had credibility. When they were contacted by US Mail letters prior
to our press release, Campbell Soup noted that “the trust we have cultivated and developed over the years with our consumers is not worth compromising to cut costs
or increase profit margins.”
Campbell Soup took your concerns to heart and listened. If you choose to write to Campbell Soup, please thank them for their decision. Mmmm good!
Dishonest: PepsiCo
From: noreply@pepsi.com
Sent: Friday, April 01, 2011 4:00 PM
Subject: A Message from PepsiCo Consumer Relations 012652620A
“Thank you for contacting us to share your sincere concerns. Please know that we take very seriously the issues you raised. PepsiCo has a strong set of defined values
we strive to live up to. Unfortunately, there is some misinformation being circulated related to research techniques that have been used for decades by universities,
hospitals, government agencies, and private companies around the world. These claims are meant to suggest that human fetal tissue is somehow used in our research.
That is both inaccurate and something we would never do or even consider.
It also is inaccurate to suggest that tissue or cells somehow are being used as product ingredients. That’s dangerous, unethical and against the law. Every ingredient in
every one of our products is reviewed and approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
We hope this information is helpful and reassuring. Thank you again for reaching out to us and allowing us to clarify the situation.”
Margaret Corsi
Consumer Relations Representative
How To Respond To PepsiCo:
Dear Ms. Corsi,
Thank you for responding to my letter.
I did not say that PepsiCo was using human fetal tissue in their products nor have I heard of anyone suggesting that. It appears that Pepsi is spreading misinformation
in this regard. However, PepsiCo is funding research and development of artificial flavor enhancers to be used in your beverages that are made by Senomyx – and they
are using aborted fetal cell line HEK-293 in that R&D.
It seems that PepsiCo is trying to obfuscate the facts here by insinuating you are not guilty by association, when according to Senomyx, you are a partner, a collaborator
and a financial backer. Which is it?
Clearly, you do have a marketing problem – Senomyx is specifically implicating your company on their website ( http://senomyx.com/collaborations/partnerships.htm )
and this is a problem for me, and I suspect millions of other consumers who have joined or are planning to join the boycott.
UPDATE: April 5 – When one person sent the above suggested letter back to Pepsico in response to theirs, here is what Pepsi wrote:
“Dear XXXXX,
Thank you for your additional reply and for sharing your sincere feelings regarding this topic. Please know that I will forward your sentiments to our senior
management team to be sure that they fully understand your position.”
Regards,
Pepsi Consumer Relations
—————————
That’s good news if they start listening….keep those letters coming!
False: Solae
TO: Children of God for Life FROM: Solae, LLC
RE: Senomyx
“This letter is to inform you that Solae does not currently have an active relationship with Senomyx nor do we have any plans for one in the future at this time.
Our recent recognition by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the “World’s Most Ethical” companies for the second year in a row signifies how seriously we take
ethical business practices both at Solae and with our collaborative partners. While we cannot speak to what Senomyx may or may not be doing to test food flavor
enhancers, we can confirm that we are not involved in this for our products.
We live by four core values at Solae which include ethical behavior, respect for people, safety and health and environmental stewardship. We take all of these
very seriously, and expect the same out of our innovation partners.
At Solae, we provide quality, nutritious soy-based ingredients for food and beverage companies to create healthy, great-tasting products.”
Jennifer Starkey Solae, LLC Media Relations Specialist
jstarkey@solae.com 314-659-3145 direct
How To Respond to Solae:
Thank you for taking the time to write to us regarding your affiliation with Senomyx. Please see their website at
http://senomyx.com/collaborations/ – where they list Solae as a “collaborator”. They also list you under their partnerships –
http://senomyx.com/collaborations/partnerships.htm
I am very concerned that Senomyx would misrepresent itself to investors and the public in general, especially if it means harm in any way to your
company name. You may want to contact their management to get this resolved with them.
(Note: While Campbell Soup was able to have their name removed immediately from Senomyx website, Solae is still listed as of April 5, leading us to
believe they were either misinformed or not being honest in their response to the public.)
Misleading: Senomyx
“This information you referenced is NOT correct. It would be illegal and unethical to use human cells of any kind in food products. I hope this is helpful for you.
We appreciate your concern.”
Sincerely,
Gwen Gwen Rosenberg Vice President,
Investor Relations & Corporate Communications Senomyx,Inc.
How To Respond to Senomyx
I did not say that Senomyx was using human fetal cells IN your products nor have I heard of anyone suggesting that. However, you are using HEK-293
(human embryonic kidney) cells in the discovery and development of your artificial flavor enhancers. I understand the technology which is clearly shown in your
patents filed with the US government. There is nothing illegal in what you are doing, but it is most certainly immoral and unnecessary.
Please reconsider your product development and use moral sources for testing your flavor enhancers.
Series of correspondence – False/Recant: Nestle
“Dear sir
Thanks for your email re Nestle and Senomyx. You are misinformed. Senomyx is not a supplier to Nestle. The media isn’t the gospel. It’s
just the media.”
Roddy Child-Villiers, Nestlé
Consumer Responds:
Roddy,
They didn’t say that Senomyx is a “supplier” to Nestle (which is how you phrased it). They’ve stated that Synomex does TESTING for Nestle.
Are you denying that Nestle has any current involvement with Senomyx? Are you also denying that Nestle has, at least until recently, had
involvement with Senomyx?
———————-
Nestle Responds:
“Sir,
Again you are mistaken. I am sorry that you chose to believe your anonymous organization over Nestle. We do not have a relationship with
Senomyx/synomex. If they were doing testing for us, they would be a supplier of services to us. Since I evidently have no credibility with you,
I have nothing further to say.”
Roddy Child-Villiers, Nestlé
———————-
Consumer Responds
Dear Roddy,
Please view the letter from Nestle available at this URL: https://cogforlife.org/nestle3.pdf There, you will see a letter from Nestle
acknowledging the relationship between Nestle and Synomex.
What is your response to this?
Nestle Responds:
“Apologies, I work on the basis that when I source info from colleagues it is correct/true. I am livid that this apparently isn’t.
As I said, I’ll revert tomorrow.”
Roddy Child-Villiers, Nestlé
Doesn’t Get It: Kraft/Cadbury Adams LLC (chewing gum, cough drops, etc – not chocolate eggs which are made by Hersheys)
“Thank you for taking the time to contact Kraft Foods. I understand and appreciate your concerns regarding Kraft and its affiliation with Senomyx. Our highest priority
is the safety and quality of our products and the safety of our consumers. All of the flavors we use are approved and deemed safe for food use by regulatory agencies,
including the FDA. Our collaboration with Senomyx is to discover novel ingredients that positively impact food flavors, similar to what already is being widely used in
foods and beverages today.”
Kim McMiller
Associate Director, Consumer Relations
Any co weather they use the flavor inhancer or not is still condoning and supporting the practices of Synomyx and I will continue to spread the info to all friends,family and businesses of this immoral act.