A new report released on Tuesday alleged that there may be more than beef in your burgers. Ten burger brands across the country were found to contain pathogens, unexpected ingredients and other contaminants such as rat DNA in the recent report conducted by Clear Labs.
Burgers contain rat and human DNA, study finds https://t.co/lnwOuNF3CA
— The Independent (@Independent) May 12, 2016
Clear Labs Scrutinize Your Burgers
United States-based food analytics company Clear Labs released its recent report on burger products, discovering problems with ingredient substitution, hygiene and contamination, Business Insider reported. Clear Labs checked 258 samples of ground meat, frozen patties, fast-food burger products and veggie burger products from 79 brands and 22 retailers.
WNCN added that Clear Labs used advanced technology to scrutinize the ingredients of the burger. Aside from ingredient substitution, the Clear Labs also screened the burgers for any gluten, toxic fungi and plants, and other allergens. Ultimately, Clear Labs wanted to know if the food actually contains the nutrients listed on its packaging.
Rat And Human DNA In Your Burgers
Of the 258 samples, Clear Labs found the following: two cases where meat was found in vegetarian products; no black beans in a black bean burger; three cases where rat DNA was found; one case where human DNA was found. Clear Labs added that there were discrepancies in vegetarian products where the actual product does not match its label.
"The most likely cause is hair, skin, or fingernail that was accidentally mixed in during the manufacturing process," it read, referring to the human DNA, Independent UK reported. "What many consumers don't know is that some amounts of human and rat DNA may fall within an acceptable regulatory range," the report added.
Bigger P
The pressing problem Clear Labs found is the substitution where it was more apparent in veggie burgers. More than 15 percent of vegetarian products miss at least one ingredient. More so, almost half of the samples were found to contain more calories than they declared on the labels. Some of the burgers contained at least 100 more calories reported on the label.
Clear Labs also found another problem in the pathogens found in the burgers, which can cause food outbreaks or poisoning. Some pathogens can also cause tuberculosis-like symptoms, gastroenteritis, foodborne illness and E. coli.
Clear Labs did not reveal the fast-food chains or burger brands that were tested. More than the rat or human DNA found in the burgers, the company is more concerned with how the ingredients are substituted that are not declared in the label.
Which part of the report you find most gross? Let us know by leaving your comments below.
