A report published on the web site of the Minneapolis-based nonprofit Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), http://www.iatp.org indicates some well-known foods and drinks rich in high-fructose corn syrup may contain detectable levels of mercury.
This report comes on the heels of a new study published in the journal of Environmental Health, http://www.ehjournal.net/content/pdf/1476-069x-8-2.pdf which shows mercury in some samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup tested in 2005.
To read the entire IATP report click here.
Meanwhile, the website HFCSFacts.com begs to differ. The site, titled “The Truth About High Fructose Corn Syrup,” offers a counterpoint in its document entitled Mercury Study Seriously Flawed and Outdated; Fails to Meet Standards for Scientific Research. The organization is even running Google AdWords ads with links directly to documents challenging the mecury study.
Hi,
My google alert for HFCS picked up your post. It is my personal campaign to spread the word of the treachery of HFCS, and so I am very interested in this latest piece of news from the EHO/FDA, the IATP, and the rebuttal by the CRA.
I find it deplorable that the FDA, when given data that some of the samples of HFCS had detectable levels of Hg, did nothing further. They did not even identify the type of Hg. There are different forms of mercury, the inorganic salts, methyl-mercury (found in fish and very neuro-toxic), and elemental Hg, and they have different toxicities. I applaud the IATP’s concern and zeal in testing foods with HFCS, but they lacked an experimental control.They should have tested comparable foods without HFCS. They should have tested grape jam made with sugar. It would have been difficult to obtain, since all major jams and jellies are made with HFCS, but they could have gone to a European import store and picked up some Hungarian jam! Nevertheless, many of the HFCS-foods they tested had non-detectable levels of Hg, so that in a way serves an intrinsic control. I am sure there will be more testing and better experimental design, but I would still ditch HFCS, especially HFCS-55 which is used to sweeten most beverages. The 22% excess fructose, compared to glucose, one receives with just one Coke is enough to lead to long term health hazards.
Take care
Cynthia1770 thank you for your thoughtful comment. One interesting issue you might want to watch is whether HFCS will be the next big Prop 65 case similar to the recent case against supplements containing lead.