Fact Check: Viral Claim That Human Meat Is Used in Sausages and Hamburgers Is False

February 17, 2026 | 10:00 am

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A number of accounts on Instagram [archive], Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok circulated a recorded interview on February 3, 2026, containing claims that human meat was being used as a raw ingredient in sausages and hamburgers. As of February 12, the posts had garnered 105,000 likes and 4,100 comments from netizens.

The 58-second audio clip was described as a confession by a Jewish rabbi named Abe Finkelstein, who allegedly claimed that food products made from human meat were being distributed to both Jewish and non-Jewish communities. The content was also accompanied by a black-and-white photograph of a man purported to be Finkelstein.

However, is it true that human meat is used as a raw material in the production of sausages and hamburgers in the fast-food industry?

FACT CHECK

Tempo searched relevant keywords through search engines, conducted reverse image searches, and referred to various other credible sources.

Tempo’s verification found that the figure of Abe Finkelstein and the audio recording in question are manifestations of an antisemitic conspiracy theory. The narrative claiming that sausages and hamburgers made from human meat are being widely marketed is entirely fictional and has no basis in reality.

Origins of the Conspiracy Theory’s Spread

Tempo located the full 56-minute recording on YouTube, uploaded on June 15, 2024, under the title Full Interview Between Rabbi Abraham Finkelstein and Pastor James Wickstrom. The video is part of the John844 program, which features a dialogue between James Wickstrom and a man identified as Abe Finkelstein, discussing Jewish teachings, the killing of Palestinian people, and claims about the use of human meat in sausages and hamburgers.

Fact-checking outlet Lead Stories reported that the 2005 interview was fabricated, involving antisemitic pastor James Wickstrom and an actor portraying the fictional character Abe Finkelstein.

The interview delves into antisemitic myths rooted in prejudice and hatred toward Jewish people. A spokesperson for the Anti-Defamation League explained to Lead Stories that the Blood Libel narrative has been circulating for more than a decade. Antisemitic groups have spread the false claim that Jewish people kill 300,000 non-Jewish children each year to drink their blood and sell the victims’ bodies to McDonald's.

Tempo’s investigation also confirmed that the man in the photograph is not Abe Finkelstein, but Kenneth Feinberg, founder of The Feinberg Law Firm [archive]. Kenneth Feinberg is an academic who has served as a visiting lecturer at Harvard Law School and Georgetown University Law Center.

Recurring Disinformation

Various disinformation narratives surrounding the alleged use of human meat in processed food production have long circulated online. Estonia-based fact-checker Myth Detector has debunked at least four similar claims throughout 2020, including allegations that McDonald's products contained human meat, that orphaned babies were used as meat sources, and that the Abe Finkelstein interview was authentic. Reuters has also published an article examining disinformation about the alleged use of human meat in McDonald's products.

These contents trace back to the website Huzlers, which claimed that human meat had been discovered in a freezer at a factory in Oklahoma City. In fact, the article was satirical content built upon entirely unfounded claims.

CONCLUSION

Based on Tempo’s investigation, the claim that human meat is used as a raw ingredient in the production of sausages and hamburgers in the fast-food industry is false.

TEMPO FACT-CHECK TEAM

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