Mercury in High-Fructose Corn Syrup

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the presence of mercury in high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as reported in a study, exploring its implications for health and dietary habits. Participants examine the sources of mercury, its concentrations in HFCS compared to other foods, and the broader context of dietary consumption.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants reference a study indicating that HFCS contains measurable levels of mercury, with concentrations found between 0.005 to 0.570 micrograms per gram.
  • One participant notes that the average daily consumption of HFCS in the U.S. is about 50 grams, suggesting that dietary sources may pose a significant risk.
  • Another participant compares the average mercury concentration in HFCS (0.113 ppm) to that in canned tuna (0.118 ppm), questioning the health implications of consuming HFCS given its higher consumption rate.
  • Concerns are raised about the ubiquity of HFCS in prepared foods, making it difficult for consumers to avoid it.
  • One participant mentions that over half of the samples tested were below the limit of detection (LOD) and suggests that the issue may stem from the caustic substances used in HFCS production.
  • Another participant introduces the potential for chlorine, a byproduct in the production process, to contaminate drinking water, although they suspect the levels would be lower.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying degrees of concern regarding the health implications of mercury in HFCS. While some acknowledge the potential risks, others question how much it will affect their dietary choices. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the overall impact of mercury exposure from HFCS.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the reliance on specific sample analyses, the variability in individual dietary habits, and the need for further research to clarify the sources and implications of mercury in HFCS.

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Mercury from chlor-alkali plants: measured concentrations in food product sugar
Renee Dufault , Blaise LeBlanc , Roseanne Schnoll , Charles Cornett , Laura Schweitzer , Lyn Patrick , Jane Hightower , David Wallinga and Walter Lukiw

Environmental Health 2009, 8:2doi:10.1186/1476-069X-8-2

Published: 26 January 2009
Abstract (provisional)

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.

http://www.ehjournal.net/content/pdf/1476-069x-8-2.pdf

http://www.healthobservatory.org/lib...m?refid=105026
 
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Proton Soup said:
Average daily consumption of high fructose corn syrup is about 50 grams per person in the United States.
Then your diet is going to kill you long before the mercury gets you
 
mgb_phys said:
Then your diet is going to kill you long before the mercury gets you

the problem is, HFCS is showing up in everything. it's very hard to avoid unless you simply eat no prepared foods. if you eat a ham sandwich, it probably has HFCS.
 
The average mercury found in the samples was 0.113 ppm which is comparable to the concentration of mercury in canned tuna (0.118 ppm)1, both of which are below the maximum allowable concentration of mercury in foods (1 ppm). Of course, since people consume much more HFCS than tuna, I would agree with the authors' conclusion that HFCS could be significant source of mercury. It's something to think about but I'm not sure how much it will change my eating habits. Beside, the 1g of HFCS may be worse for your health than the 0.1 µg of mercury that comes with it.

1 FDA. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~frf/sea-mehg.html
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Over half the samples were < LOD and the issue is alleged to be traced to the caustic used in HFCS production. If further work bears this out - they simply need to clean up the caustic.
 

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