Study Finds High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury

January 28th, 2009

Another way of stating the headline would be: Many Foods Consumed by Poor People Cause Brain Damage.

Via: Washington Post:

Almost half of tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contained mercury, which was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first- or second-highest labeled ingredient, according to two new U.S. studies.

HFCS has replaced sugar as the sweetener in many beverages and foods such as breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments. On average, Americans consume about 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS, but teens and other high consumers can take in 80 percent more HFCS than average.

“Mercury is toxic in all its forms. Given how much high-fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply,” said the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy’s Dr. David Wallinga, a co-author of both studies.

In the first study, researchers found detectable levels of mercury in nine of 20 samples of commercial HFCS. The study was published in current issue of Environmental Health.

In the second study, the agriculture group found that nearly one in three of 55 brand-name foods contained mercury. The chemical was most common in HFCS-containing dairy products, dressings and condiments.

The use of mercury-contaminated caustic soda in the production of HFCS is common. The contamination occurs when mercury cells are used to produce caustic soda.

“The bad news is that nobody knows whether or not their soda or snack food contains HFCS made from ingredients like caustic soda contaminated with mercury. The good news is that mercury-free HFCS ingredients exist. Food companies just need a good push to only use those ingredients,” Wallinga said.

3 Responses to “Study Finds High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury”

  1. anothernut says:

    Wait a second. It’s 2009… and they’re just finding this out now?! Give me a f*cking break. Who’s going to make a killing selling ” mercury-free HFCS ingredients” and/or the technology to make it? Love to know who paid for/pushed these studies.

  2. Loveandlight says:

    Another way of stating the headline would be: Many Foods Consumed by Poor People Cause Brain Damage.

    I work at a grocery store in as well as live in a white working-class neighborhood. That would explain a lot. (Though all the saturating self-medication with copious amounts of both cigarettes and alcohol certainly doesn’t help, either.)

  3. Eileen says:

    Good catch of an article Kevin. I’ve been trying to tell people in way one or another that the HFCS is a poison. Now I see its not only a conspiracy to make people obese, its a conspiracy to make them stupid.
    @anothernut – wonder who’s going to do the study that finds that most if not ALL HFCS is made from Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)Corn?
    @Loveandlight – HFCS is not just consumed by poor people. Any soft drink on the shelf, many juices, and many prepared foods have been shot up with it. Cripe, I asked at a Panera Breads what their lemonade was sweetened with. You guessed it – and that’s not food that even I can afford – except on occasion.
    Thanks Kevin. I’ll put this one on the wall at the office. Maybe someone will read it.

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