Dangerous Levels of Mercury found in Products Made with High Fructose Corn Syrup

5 Responses to Dangerous Levels of Mercury found in Products Made with High Fructose Corn Syrup

1. CRA says:

   I work with the Corn Refiners Association and want to point out a serious inaccuracy in the study that came out in Environmental Health that reports high fructose corn syrup contains mercury. The study appears to be based on outdated information since the corn industry has used mercury-free versions of the two re-agents mentioned in the study for several years. It’s important that Americans know that high fructose corn syrup is safe and high fructose corn syrup meets the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s requirements for the use of the term “natural.” Here’s a link to the statement by the Corn Refiners Association on the topic – http://www.hfcsfacts.com/HFCS-Mercury-Study-Outdated.html/dontfollow

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   • Joan says:

     You can say what you like, but the proof is in the pudding. What parent in their right mind would want to feed their kid this junk when laboratory tests have physically SHOWN the presence of mercury.
     Do you think we are stupid?
     We don’t need this sweetener that you refer to as natural.
     I would rather sweeten my home cooked food with honey than buy a processed, packaged, food like substance that contains a possible toxin.
     Sorry. I am not buying the rebuttal.

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     • Caryn Talty says:

       I would like verifiable proof that the CRA does not use any mercury-based caustic soda in ANY food product produced in North America. I have done a bit of research on caustic soda and although it can be made without mercury, it is more costly to do so. Somehow that makes me wonder whether or not the CRA has/will put their money where their mouth is.
       From Caustic Soda Production and Manufacturing: “Mercury cells are cheaper to operate than diaphragm cells when electricity costs are low and produce product at the required concentration and high purity, but mercury must be removed from the effluent.”
       http://www.icis.com/V2/chemicals/9075191/caustic-soda/process.html

       Eyes on the Lies has posted a nice article on this very subject. And I share the opinions, wholeheartedly: “What is Erickson NOT saying? She’s not saying that ALL the HFCS is made without mercury. She just says that somewhere in the industry, somebody is using a mercury-free version of the caustic soda. That doesn’t mean all the HFCS is mercury free, yet if you don’t read her statement carefully, you might be misled into thinking that. Her statement, in fact, leaves open the possibility that 99% of all HFCS might still be manufactured using mercury.”
       http://eyesonthelies.com/2009/01/28/high-fructose-corn-syrup-contaminated-with-mercury/
2. Kelly says:

   Is the Institute of Agriculture and Trade Policy a federal agency? Maybe a dumb question, but I’d like to know. It actually ads weight if a federal agency is finding these things and reporting on them.

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   • Caryn Talty says:

     They are not. I disagree on ‘adding weight’– Federal agencies often reflect the opinions of heavy lobbyists in my opinion. (FDA).
     This is an organization that works globally and is concerned with environmental issues.
     http://www.iatp.org/iatp/history.cfm

     From their website:

     In 1986, leaders of rural and farm movements from around the world gathered in Geneva to discuss the deepening farm crisis that was forcing farmers off the land and devastating rural communities. It quickly became clear that many of the obstacles facing farmers in the U.S. were the same challenges facing farmers in Europe, Asia and Africa, and that international trade agreements were deeply affecting local rural communities across the globe. At the conclusion of the Geneva meeting, a small group of rural and farm leaders—who now comprise IATP’s board of directors—identified the need for a new organization to examine the links between global policy and local communities.

     Mark Ritchie, then a trade policy analyst for the state of Minnesota, returned from the Geneva meeting to the United States and incorporated the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy as a non-profit, tax-exempt organization, with the mission of fostering sustainable rural communities and regions. In 1987, IATP began to organize and report on the newly launched round of international trade negotiations being conducted by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade or GATT—which eventually became the World Trade Organization. The rules of agricultural trade set in the GATT and implemented at the WTO have deeply influenced national and local farm policies around the globe over the last two decades. Since its founding, IATP has played a unique role in analyzing international trade policy and summarizing the ramifications of these policies on local communities, both in the U.S. and abroad.

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