CLAIM: The Post hints that Canadian companies are putting mRNA vaccines into the food supply
A Sept. 17 Instagram post (direct link, archived link) shows a video about Canadian pharmaceutical companies using plants to support vaccine development and production.
Part of the post’s caption reads “MRNA vegetables.” “The solution – grow our own food – support local farmers. There is no other solution.
Users interpreted the post to mean the vaccine would be secretly distributed through food supplies.
“This should be illegal!!! Vaccinating people through food without their knowledge?” one commenter said.
The post received over 10,000 likes in five days.
Fact Check Team Details: How we choose and investigate claims | Email Newsletter | Facebook Page
Our rating: Missing context
The implicit claim here is false. The company in question did not produce edible mRNA vaccines made from vegetables. They used plants to grow the vaccine ingredients, which were then harvested and added to the shots.
Plant-based vaccine efforts focus on manufacturing components for shots
The post includes part of an informational video explaining how Canadian pharmaceutical company Medicago is using plants to develop vaccines. In February 2022, the Canadian government announced that a novel coronavirus produced by the company using this method was found to be 71% effective in protecting participants between the ages of 18 and 64 from COVID-19 infection in clinical trials. A viral infection vaccine has been approved.
But less than a year later, the company announced it would cease operations, citing changes in the global vaccine market and challenges in transitioning to commercial-scale production.
However, there is no evidence that the company has put vaccines into the food supply or produced “mRNA vegetables” as the post suggests.
Medicago’s use of plants in vaccine production has been documented in media reports and Canadian government publications. The plant was used to produce “virus-like particles” that are added to vaccines in place of traditional antigens such as weakened, killed, or partial viruses. There are no reliable reports that the company will produce mRNA vaccines from vegetables or grow edible plants.
Even if it were possible, it would be impractical to immunize people through food. Hugh Mason, an associate professor at Arizona State University who has been researching the use of plants to produce vaccine antigens for more than 30 years, said there are major technical hurdles to administering precise amounts of vaccine in fruits and vegetables. said. vegetables.
“Dose consistency is a big issue because there is natural variation in protein production between individual fruits,” he told USA TODAY via email. “Therefore, a plant-based vaccine that is administered orally would be processed in some way to produce a pill or pill that can be tested and verified for efficacy.”
FACT CHECK: No, the COVID-19 vaccine will not “erode” your child’s immune system
Publicly funded vaccines are closely tracked and vaccines require informed consent from patients. This means the vaccine is administered by a medical professional in a manner that requires explicit authorization that the vaccine is being administered and delivery via food is prohibited.
Charles Arntzen, founding director of the Biodesign Institute and professor emeritus at Arizona State University, said concerns about vaccine-laced vegetables began in the 1990s, when his team was investigating plants genetically engineered to produce vaccine antigens. He said he believes it started in . That study included a published report of a weak but “adequate” vaccine response that occurred after volunteers ate genetically engineered raw potatoes.
“The goal of this research is not to lead to the production of a ‘fried fly vaccine’ or any other bizarre distribution,” he told USA TODAY in an email. “Rather, our three human clinical trials were a validation step to show that plant tissues can indeed produce proteins with all the traditional properties of subunit vaccines.”
USA TODAY debunked other false claims that vaccines are or are in the food supply.
USA TODAY reached out to the social media user who shared the allegations for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Our fact-checking sources:
Hugh Mason, September 23, email exchange with USA TODAY Charles Arntzen, September 23, email exchange with USA TODAY Mitsubishi Chemical Group, February 3, 2023, overseas consolidated subsidiary Medicago to cease operations Health Canada, amended July 25, 2023, Medicago Coviventz COVID-19 Vaccines Health Canada, April 17, 2023, Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Plant-Based Vaccines : Overview, how it works, safety Reuters, February 24, 2022, Canada approves Medicago’s plant-based COVID-19 vaccine for adults Nature Medicine, February 1, 2022, Edible vaccines: prime time not yet ready for
Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app, and e-newspaper here.
USA TODAY is a certified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network. The network requires a proven commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness, and transparency. Our fact-checking work is supported in part by a grant from Meta.
