high fructose corn syrup contains mercury

[Amby 490]

WASHINGTON — Many common foods made using commercial high fructose corn syrup contain mercury, researchers reported on Tuesday, while another study suggested the corn syrup itself is contaminated.

Food processors and the corn syrup industry group attacked the findings as flawed and outdated, but the researchers said it was important for people to know about any potential sources of the toxic metal in their food.

In one study, published in the journal Environmental Health, former Food and Drug Administration scientist Renee Dufault and colleagues tested 20 samples of high fructose corn syrup and found detectable mercury in nine of the 20 samples.

Dufault said in a statement that she told the FDA about her findings but the agency did not follow up.

Dr. David Wallinga, a food safety researcher and activist at the nonprofit Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, said he followed up on the report to find mercury in actual food.

"When I learned of that work, I said that is interesting but we don't just go out and eat a spoonful of high fructose corn syrup," Wallinga said in a telephone interview.

"We went and looked at supermarket samples where high fructose corn syrup was the first or second ingredient on the label," he said. These 55 different foods included barbecue sauce, jam, yogurt and chocolate syrup.

"We found about one out of three had mercury above the detection limit," Wallinga said.

The Corn Refiners Association challenged the findings.

"This study appears to be based on outdated information of dubious significance," the group said in a statement.

Wallinga and colleagues said they believed the mercury got into the food during manufacture, at plants that use mercury-grade caustic soda produced in industrial chlorine plants, although his team was unable to show this.

"Our industry has used mercury-free versions of the two reagents mentioned in the study, hydrochloric acid and caustic soda, for several years," Audrae Erickson, president of the Corn Refiners Association, said in a statement.

Wallinga said the studies were based on samples taken in 2005, the most recent available.

Many studies have shown that fish can be high in mercury. Wallinga said consumers should know about other potential sources so they can limit how much they eat. "The best mercury exposure is no exposure at all," he said.

"Even at low levels methylmercury can harm the developing brain. The last thing we should intentionally do is add to it," Wallinga added.

He said his team did not test foods that did not contain corn syrup to see if they were also high in mercury.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,484088,00.html

[Krikit 1,164]

HFCS is The Evil.

[Mags 112]

I hate that HFCS is in everything. I went to wipe my bum the other day and I even found it in the toilet paper!

Edited January 28, 2009 by Magenta

[Peikko 1,575]

I hate that HFCS is in everything. I went to wipe my bum the other day and I even found it in the toilet paper!

Um...that's probably the best place for it.

[Mags 112]

I hate that HFCS is in everything. I went to wipe my bum the other day and I even found it in the toilet paper!

Um...that's probably the best place for it.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

We need to ban that sh!t like Canada did!

[Sprailenes 47]

What? Haven't you heard about HFCS? That its made from corn... and like sugar is fine in small doses....

[Kathryn41 3,205]

What? Haven't you heard about HFCS? That its made from corn... and like sugar is fine in small doses....

Yep - ad paid for by HFCS producers . . .

[MrsCat 6]

We need to ban that sh!t like Canada did!

Its crazy here. The only kind of salad dressing we can buy here is Newman's because EVERY other last one has that sh!t in it.

[Sprailenes 47]

What? Haven't you heard about HFCS? That its made from corn... and like sugar is fine in small doses....

Yep - ad paid for by HFCS producers . . .

They make me angry!

[Kevin and 10]

What? Haven't you heard about HFCS? That its made from corn... and like sugar is fine in small doses....

Yep - ad paid for by HFCS producers . . .

Using taxpayer money.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

We need to ban that sh!t like Canada did!

Its crazy here. The only kind of salad dressing we can buy here is Newman's because EVERY other last one has that sh!t in it.

Yep. It's in EVERYTHING now....even many breads. The FDA needs to grow some balls and start crackin down on sh!t like this.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I hate that HFCS is in everything. I went to wipe my bum the other day and I even found it in the toilet paper!

Um...that's probably the best place for it.

That and MSG. Some of the supermarkets here you can buy a jar of MSG crystals <shudder>

[Amby 490]

I hate that HFCS is in everything. I went to wipe my bum the other day and I even found it in the toilet paper!

Um...that's probably the best place for it.

That and MSG. Some of the supermarkets here you can buy a jar of MSG crystals <shudder>

come on I bet you can put some MSG on some tofu soaked in meat flavor and then it can trick you into thinking you're eating some amazing meats

[Ban Hammer 13,352]

I hate that HFCS is in everything. I went to wipe my bum the other day and I even found it in the toilet paper!

you found your bum in the toilet paper?