Another new reason to read all your food labels... and stay away from high fructose corn syrup.
The Washington Post reports that two new US studies have done tests on the high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) found in everyday products in American households... and found half contained mercury.
The mercury was "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," says the Post. "The chemical was found most commonly in HFCS-containing dairy products, dressings and condiments."
Representatives for the industries that make the foods with HFCS saysthe studies are based on outdated information because they use mercury-free versions now.
Either way, HFCS isn't good for you (more on that HERE) and should be avoided but HFCS can be found places you'd never suspect... like yogurt, breakfast bars, some next step infant formulas, ketchup and, of course, soda and countless other items. So be sure to read ALL labels before giving any foods to children and pregnant women.
Mercury is especially dangerous for pregnant and breastfeeding women because they pass their mercury consumption onto their babies.
The CDC says "The nervous system is very sensitive to all forms of mercury. Methylmercury and metallic mercury vapors are more harmful than other forms, because more mercury in these forms reaches the brain. Exposure to high levels of metallic, inorganic, or organic mercury can permanently damage the brain, kidneys, and developing fetus. Effects on brain functioning may result in irritability, shyness, tremors, changes in vision or hearing, and memory problems."
Mercury has also been found in fish, which is why fish consumption should be reduced to once a week while pregnant or breastfeeding. Probably a good rule to follow now for HFCS too.
*Image above from the FDA, as an example of a yogurt label containing HFCS*
Comments
Thank you for finally covering the mercury in high fructose corn syrup issue. Just to clarify --- the study published in the Environmental Health journal went through an intensive peer review process and should not be confused with the IATP report which was not peer reviewed. The take home message is that an interdisciplinary group of scientists conducted an investigation of mercury in high fructose corn syrup and found mercury in some of the samples. The samples were collected by an FDA investigator direct from three different manufacturers and then they were analyzed for mercury at the Univ. of Wisconsin. To see the results of the study, you can download the paper for free from the Environmental Health journal. See Dufault et al
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