Mercury In High Fructose Corn Syrup + Related articles

[Guest guest]

In this article two URLs are mentioned + **Related articles** below

 

From these addresses you will find below:

 

the abstract of:

*Mercury from chlor-alkali plants: measured concentrations in food product

sugar* by Dufault et al.

 

and:

Some quotes from:

 

*Not So Sweet-Missing Mercury and High Fructose Corn Syrup*

by David Wallinga

 

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Much High Fructose Corn Syrup Contaminated With Mercury, New Study Finds

_http://apothecure.blogspot.com/2009/02/much-high-fructose-corn-syrup.html_

(http://apothecure.blogspot.com/2009/02/much-high-fructose-corn-syrup.html)

 

Apoth éCure Pharmacy

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Reprinted in Part from a January 26, 2009 Public Press Release

 

Brand-Name Food Products Also Discovered to Contain Mercury

 

Mercury was found in nearly 50 percent of tested samples of commercial

high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), according to a new article published today

in the scientific journal, Environmental Health. A separate study by the

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) detected mercury in nearly

one-third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is

the first or second highest labeled ingredient; including products by

Quaker, Hershey's, Kraft and Smucker's.

 

HFCS use has skyrocketed in recent decades as the sweetener has replaced

sugar in many processed foods. HFCS is found in sweetened beverages, breads,

cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments. On

average, Americans consume about 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS. Consumption by

teenagers and other high consumers can be up to 80 percent above average

levels.

 

" Mercury is toxic in all its forms, " said IATP's David Wallinga, M.D., and

a co-author in both studies. " 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 FDA to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food

supply. "

 

 

In the Environmental Health article, Dufault et al. found detectable

levels of mercury in nine of 20 samples of commercial HFCS. Dufault was working

at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration when the tests were done in 2005.

She and co-authors conclude that possible mercury contamination of food

chemicals like HFCS was not common knowledge within the food industry that

frequently uses the sweetener. While the FDA had evidence that commercial HFCS

was contaminated with mercury four years ago, the agency did not inform

consumers, help change industry practice or conduct additional testing.

 

For its report " Not So Sweet: Missing Mercury and High Fructose Corn

Syrup, " IATP sent 55 brand-name foods and beverages containing HFCS as the

first

or second ingredient to a commercial laboratory to be tested for total

mercury.

 

Nearly one in three products tested contained detectable mercury. Mercury

was most prevalent in HFCS-containing dairy products, followed by dressings

and condiments.

 

In making HFCS, caustic soda is used, among other things, to separate corn

starch from the corn kernel. For decades, HFCS has been made using

mercury-grade caustic soda produced in industrial chlorine (chlor-alkali)

plants.

The use of mercury cells to produce caustic soda can contaminate caustic

soda, and ultimately HFCS, with mercury.

 

" 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, " said Dr. Wallinga. " The good news is that mercury-free HFCS

ingredients exist. Food companies just need a good push to only use those

ingredients. " While most chlorine plants around the world have switched to

newer,

cleaner technologies, many still rely on the use of mercury cells. In 2005,

90 percent of chlorine production was mercury-free, but just 40 percent of

European production was mercury-free.

 

Four U.S. chlor-alkali plants still rely on mercury cell technology. In

2007, then-Senator Barack Obama introduced legislation to force the remaining

chlor-alkali plants to phase out mercury cell technology by 2012.

 

Much High Fructose Corn Syrup Contaminated With Mercury, New Study Finds

Brand-Name Food Products Also Discovered to Contain Mercury

_http://www.iatp.org/iatp/press.cfm?refID=105025_

(http://www.iatp.org/iatp/press.cfm?refID=105025)

 

The Environmental Health article by Dufault et al. can be found at:

_www.ehjournal.net_ (http://www.ehjournal.net)

(http://www.iatp.org/iatp/press.cfm?refID=105025)

" Not So Sweet: Missing Mercury and High Fructose Corn Syrup, "

by David Wallinga, M.D., Janelle Sorensen, Pooja Mottl and Brian Yablon,

M.D., can be found at:

_http://www.healthobservatory.org/library.cfm?refid=105026_

(http://www.healthobservatory.org/library.cfm?refid=105026)

(http://www.iatp.org/iatp/press.cfm?refID=105025)

 

IATP works locally and globally at the intersection of policy and practice

to ensure fair and sustainable food, farm and trade systems.

 

Posted by Gary Osborn, RPh, CCN, CEO at 1:49 PM

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_www.ehjournal.net_ (http://www.ehjournal.net)

search for: Dufault et al -

 

Mercury from chlor-alkali plants: measured concentrations in food product

sugar

Renee Dufault et al.

_http://www.ehjournal.net/content/8/1/2_

(http://www.ehjournal.net/content/8/1/2)

Abstract

 

Mercury cell chlor-alkali products are used to produce thousands of other

products including food ingredients such as citric acid, sodium benzoate,

and high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup is used in food

products to enhance shelf life. A pilot study was conducted to determine if

high

fructose corn syrup contains mercury, a toxic metal historically used as

an anti-microbial. High fructose corn syrup samples were collected from

three different manufacturers and analyzed for total mercury. The samples were

found to contain levels of mercury ranging from below a detection limit of

0.005 to 0.570 micrograms mercury per gram of high fructose corn syrup.

Average daily consumption of high fructose corn syrup is about 50 grams per

person in the United States. With respect to total mercury exposure, it may

be necessary to account for this source of mercury in the diet of children

and sensitive populations.

 

continued...............

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_www.iatp.org_ (http://www.iatp.org)

 

Not So Sweet: Missing Mercury and High Fructose Corn Syrup

_http://www.healthobservatory.org/library.cfm?refid=105026_

(http://www.healthobservatory.org/library.cfm?refid=105026)

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

 

Some quotes:

 

Not So Sweet-Missing Mercury and High Fructose Corn Syrup

 

According to Liquid Candy, a report by the Center for Science in the

Public Interest, “Children start drinking soda at a remarkably young age, and

consumption increases through young dulthood. Onefifth of one- and 2-year-old

children consume soft drinks.

 

Almost half of children ages 6 to 11 drank soda in

1994–96, averaging 15 ounces per day.†That’s the equivalent of over 42

gallons annually. One in 20 drinks at least five cans per day (over 171

gallons annually).

 

Teenagers drink a lot of soda as well. Teenage boys, ages 13 to 18, who

drink soda average an estimated three or more cans a day (over 102 gallons

annually). One in 20 drinks at least five cans per day (over 171 gallons

annually).

 

Of 13 to 18-year-old girls who drink soda, average intake is a little less

than two cans a day (about 68 gallons annually), and 5 percent of them

drink more than three cans

 

These data exclude the substantial amounts of sweetened noncarbonated

drinks—e.g., sports drinks, synthetic fruit beverages, energy drinks, and so

on—

also consumed by kids, and typically containing zero to just 10 percent

fruit juice.

 

RELATED ARTICLES

 

Table A: Total mercury detected in 55 brand name foods and beverages high

in HFCS

_http://www.healthobservatory.org/library.cfm?refID=105040_

(http://www.healthobservatory.org/library.cfm?refID=105040)

 

Mercury and High Fructose Corn Syrup:

Frequently Asked Questions

_http://www.healthobservatory.org/library.cfm?refid=105091_

(http://www.healthobservatory.org/library.cfm?refid=105091)

 

Dr. David Wallinga on Mercury in High Fructose Corn Syrup

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