Bill would ban aborted fetuses in food

OKLAHOMA CITY, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- An Oklahoma state senator has introduced a bill that would ban the use of aborted human fetuses in the preparation of food.

State Sen. Ralph Shortey, R-Oklahoma City, said he introduced the bill to ban the production and sale of food using aborted human fetuses after his research indicated companies had used stem cells in developing food products, KRMG.com reported Friday.

Shortey declined to give any specific examples of stem cell use in food products.

"I don't know if it is happening in Oklahoma, it may be, it may not be. What I am saying is that if it does happen then we are not going to allow it to manufacture here," Shortey said.

ABC News said Shortey may have been inspired by claims that San Diego company Semonyx has been using proteins derived from human embryonic kidney cells to test artificial sweeteners. The cell line, dubbed HEK 293, was created in 1970 from a human embryo and has since become a popular feature in biochemistry labs.