Here we have a beautiful hybrid anti-science specimen made up of one part anti-GMO propaganda and one part pro-meat/anti-clean meat propaganda. Opposition to the Impossible burger makes some strange bedfellows. On the one hand, you have the meat industry that is deeply invested in its downfall/non-acceptance. But there’s also the anti-GMO crowd which can often intersect with vegans/animal rights advocates. To make things weirder, vegans and animal rights advocates typically hold left wing political beliefs while those who are loud and proud pro-meat are typically on the Right. So, with opposition to the Impossible Burger, not only do you get a weird alliance between the meat industry and vegans but you also get a weird alliance between opposite ends of the political spectrum. Ah, if only people could rally around a legitimate cause to settle their differences!
Here are the main anti-science propaganda strategies in the above image:
- Misrepresenting data/study: The whole message in the image relies on a single (uncited) misrepresented study. It’s no coincidence they don’t provide a citation.
Rather than repeat the analysis of the study others have done in various places, here’s a link to a fairly decent explanation of the most common way some blogs are misrepresenting/misunderstanding the study. Here’s a good overview of the safety testing and here’s a fairly balanced evaluation of the politics and regulations surrounding food safety testing. And here’s the Original study - Appeal to fear/disgust: This is self-evident.
- Innuendo/Leading Question: Based on the faulty analysis of the study, the above image makes a not-so-subtle innuendo about the safety of the Impossible Burger.
The Propaganda Playbook 