Last week, Oklahoma State Senator Ralph Shortey introduced a bill that would ban "the manufacture or sale of food or products which use aborted human fetuses." But which foods or products use aborted human fetuses? Let's investigate.

NPR speculates that Shortey's bill has to do with a recent boycott aimed at PepsiCo for working with a company called Senomyx that "has been accused of using proteins derived from human embryonic kidney cells in its research." Quoth Shortey:

The senator says that his research shows there are companies in the food industry that have used human stem cells to help them research and develop products, including artificial flavorings. "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 tells KRMG's Nicole Burgin.

As an impartial journalistic outlet, we're not here to tell you that Ralph Shortey is an utter moron whose incompetent attempts to ban stem cell-derived medicine reveal his all-encompassing idiocy, nor to tell you that the use of aborted human fetuses in food would already be in clear violation of a variety of different federal and state laws. Nor, for that matter, are we here to tell you that you should or should not be eating aborted human fetuses. What we are here to do is find out what foods are made using aborted human fetuses. We've contacted a number of the country's largest food companies and asked: do you use aborted human fetuses in your food products?

Companies That Do Not Use Aborted Human Fetuses in Their Food Products

McDonald's

Products include: Big Macs, Chicken McNuggets, Filet o' Fish, McRib, McChicken, McGriddle

Contains aborted human fetuses? Ashlee Yingling, media relations: "The answer is no. McDonald's does not use aborted human fetuses in its food."

Nestlé

Products include: Perrier, Häagen-Dazs, Gerber, Powerbar, DiGiorno Pizza, Butterfinger, Kit Kat, Alpo, Frisky

Contains aborted human fetuses? Hilary Green, head of R&D communications: "Nestlé does not use aborted human fetuses in its food products."

PepsiCo

Products include: Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Tropicana Orange Juice, Doritos, Quaker Oatmeal, Mountain Dew, Fritos, Gatorade

Contains aborted human fetuses? In a letter to "Children of God for Life," PepsiCo consumer relations representative Margaret Corsi writes: "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."

Wendy's (UPDATED)

Products include: Dave's Hot 'n Juicy 1/4 lb. Single, Bacon Deluxe Single, Bacon Deluxe Double, Frosty

Contains aborted human fetuses? Kitty Munger, director, communications: "We'd like to correct the mention of Wendy's on gawker, relative to the issue of human fetuses. The answer is absolutely no. Wendy's does not use aborted human fetuses in its food."

Companies That Might Use Aborted Human Fetuses in Their Food Products

Burger King

Products include: WHOPPER®, WHOPPER JR.®, Chicken Tenders, BK® Chicken Fries, Bacon & Cheddar BK TOPPERS™ Burger

Contains aborted human fetuses? Possibly. Burger King has not responded to our request for comment at this time.

General Mills

Products include: Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Bisquick, Fruit by the Foot, Bugles, Chex Mix, Hamburger Helper

Contains aborted human fetuses? Possibly. General Mills has not responded to our request for comment at this time.

Kraft

Products include: A-1 Steak Sauce, Boca Burgers, Capri Sun, Crystal Light, Jell-O, Lunchables, Oreos, Teddy Grahams, Wheat Thins

Contains aborted human fetuses? Possibly. Kraft has not responded to our request for comment at this time.

Coca-Cola

Products include: Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite, Zico

Contains aborted human fetuses? Possibly. Coca-Cola has not responded to our request for comment at this time.

Image by Jim Cooke; stock photo via Shutterstock