Mercury in High-Fructose Corn Syrup?

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Researchers Say 17 Products Tested Had Some Mercury; Industry Group Says Syrup Is Safe

By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Health News

Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD

Jan. 27, 2009 -- Some foods and drinks rich in high-fructose corn syrup may contain detectable levels of mercury, a new report shows.

The report, published on the web site of the Minneapolis-based nonprofit Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), shows detectable levels of mercury in 17 out of 55 tested products rich in high-fructose corn syrup.

But the researchers aren't telling people to avoid those products or other items containing high-fructose corn syrup, and they aren't sure what form of mercury those products contained.

The Corn Refiners Association stands by high-fructose corn syrup, calling it "safe."

Mercury and High-Fructose Corn Syrup
The new report comes from researchers including David Wallinga, MD, director of the IATP's food and health program. They bought 55 products that list high-fructose corn syrup first or second on their list of ingredients, which means high-fructose corn syrup was a leading ingredient in those products.

Wallinga's team sent samples of those products to a commercial lab, which checked the levels of total mercury in each sample.

"Overall, we found detectable mercury in 17 of 55 samples, or around 31%," write Wallinga and colleagues.

Here is the list of those products:

Quaker Oatmeal to Go bars
Jack Daniel's Barbecue Sauce
Hershey's Chocolate Syrup
Kraft Original Barbecue Sauce
Nutri-Grain Strawberry Cereal Bars
Manwich Gold Sloppy Joe
Market Pantry Grape Jelly
Smucker's Strawberry Jelly
Pop-Tarts Frosted Blueberry
Hunt's Tomato Ketchup
Wish-Bone Western Sweet & Smooth Dressing
Coca-Cola Classic: no mercury found on a second test
Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt
Minute Maid Berry Punch
Yoo-hoo Chocolate Drink
Nesquik Chocolate Milk
Kemps Fat Free Chocolate Milk
Wallinga and colleagues caution that their list was "just a snapshot in time; we only tested one sample of each product. That clearly is not sufficient grounds to give definitive advice to consumers."

Mercury exposure at high levels can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system. A form of mercury called methylmercury is particularly risky to a baby's developing brain and nervous system, according to background information from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Wallinga points out that the lab only tested for total mercury levels, not methylmercury or other types of mercury. He also notes that the EPA has a "reference dose," or upper limit, for methylmercury intake but not for other forms of mercury.


Where Did the Mercury Come From?
Wallinga's report doesn't prove that the mercury in the tested products came from high-fructose corn syrup, but "I'm hard pressed to say where else it would come from," Wallinga tells WebMD.

Wallinga explains that mercury can be used to make caustic soda, which is one of the products used to make high-fructose corn syrup. That's outdated technology; mercury isn't needed to make caustic soda, notes Audrae Erickson, president of the Corn Refiners Association, in a statement emailed to WebMD.

Erickson didn't comment specifically on Wallinga's study. Instead, her statement focuses on a new study published online in Environmental Health, which shows mercury in some samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup tested in 2005.

"This study appears to be based on outdated information of dubious significance," Erickson states. "Our industry has used mercury-free versions of the two re-agents mentioned in the study, hydrochloric acid and caustic soda, for several years."

Wallinga agrees about the technological shift away from mercury. "If you just look within the confines of the U.S., yes, about 90% of production now is not using mercury," says Wallinga. "The problem is that we don't actually know where our companies are buying their high-fructose corn syrup from ... it's a global industry."

"For me, the take-home message is really that this is a totally avoidable, unnecessary exposure to mercury," says Wallinga. "We've got a safer, more efficient technology for making these chemicals that are part of the ingredients used to manufacture high-fructose corn syrup."

Mercury's Form Unknown
Like Wallinga's report, the study published in Environmental Health doesn't specify the form of mercury present in the high-fructose corn syrup.

"I would imagine that a good majority of the mercury that is detected would have been in the form of elemental mercury," not methylmercury, toxicologist Carl Winter, PhD, tells WebMD. Winter, who directs the FoodSafe Program at the University of California, Davis, says that methylmercury is "by far the most toxic form of mercury" because methylmercury is better absorbed by the body than other forms of mercury.

"We have a principle in toxicology, which is the dose makes the poison," says Winter. "It's the amount of a chemical, not its presence or absence, that determines the potential for harm, and frankly, I don't see based on their findings that they've made much of a case that this is something that consumers need to worry about."

Besides his academic work, Winter is a volunteer spokesman for the Institute of Food Technologists, a nonprofit scientific society that includes food science and technology professionals in industry, academia, and government. Winter says his work has never been funded by food or chemical industries.

Companies Respond
WebMD contacted the makers of all 17 products that tested positive for mercury in Wallinga's report.

ConAgra Foods, which makes Manwich Bold Sloppy Joe and Hunt's Tomato Ketchup, is "absolutely confident in the safety of our products," ConAgra Foods spokeswoman Stephanie Childs tells WebMD.

Childs notes that "the levels of mercury reported in our ketchup are well below the EPA's safe exposure level. In fact, we estimate that you'd have to eat more than 100 pounds of ketchup per day to even come anywhere near the EPA's safe exposure level in terms of mercury.

A spokeswoman for Kraft Foods, Adrienne Dimopoulos, tells WebMD that Kraft has not had time to review the study's findings. However, "Kraft Foods' highest priority is the safety and quality of our products and the safety of our consumers. All of the ingredients we use are approved and deemed safe for food use by regulatory agencies, including the US FDA."

Amy Reilly, a spokeswoman for Target, which makes Market Pantry Grape Jelly, tells WebMD that Target is carefully evaluating the information and that "Target looks to the Food and Drug Administration to provide guidance on the safety of food additives and ingredients."

An FDA spokesperson wasn't immediately available to comment on Wallinga's report or the study published in Environmental Health.

SOURCES: Dufault, R. Environmental Health, Jan. 26, 2009; online edition. Wallinga, D. "Not So Sweet: Missing Mercury and High Fructose Corn Syrup." David Wallinga, MD, director, Food and Health Program, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. Statement from Audrae Erickson, president, Corn Refiners Association. Carl Winter, PhD, director, FoodSafe Program and Extension Food Toxicologist, department of food science and technology, University of California, Davis. Adrienne Dimopoulos, spokeswoman, Kraft Foods. Amy Reilly, spokeswoman, Target.

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=96029

Symptoms of Mercury Toxicity

If a person has 7 or more of these symptoms, there is a significantly increased possibility that mercury toxicity is a major contributing factor.

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
Irritability
Anxiety/nervousness, often with difficulty breathing
Restlessness
Exaggerated response to stimulation
Fearfulness
Emotional instability
lack of self-control
fits of anger, with violent, irrational behavior
Loss of self-confidence
Indecision
Shyness or timidity, being easily embarrassed
Loss of memory
Inability to concentrate
Lethargy, drowsiness
Insomnia
Mental depression, despondency
Withdrawal
Suicidal tendencies
Manic-depression
Numbness and tingling of hands, feet, fingers, toes, or lips
Muscle weakness progressing to paralysis
Ataxia
Tremors/trembling of hands, feet, lips, eyelids, or tongue
Incoordination
Myoneural transmission failure resembling Myasthenia Gravis
Multiple Slerosis
HEAD, NECK, ORAL CAVITY DISORDERS
Bleeding gums
Alveolar bone loss
Loosening of teeth
Excessive salivation
Foul breath
Metallic taste
Burning sensation, with tingling of lips, face
Tissue pigmentation (amalgam tattoo of gums)
Leukoplakia
Stomatitus
Ulceration of gingiva, palate, tongue
Dizziness/acute, chronic vertigo
Ringing in ears
Hearing difficulties
Speech and visual impairment
Glaucoma
Restricted, dim vision

GASTROINTESTINAL EFFECTS
Food sensitivities, especially to milk and eggs
Abdominal cramps, colitis, diverticulitis or other G.I. complaints
Chronic diarrhea/constipation

CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS
Abnormal heart rhythm
Characteristic findings on EKG
Abnormal changes in the S-T segment and/or lower
Broadened P wave
Unexplained elevated serum triglyceride
Unexplained elevated cholesterol
Abnormal blood pressure, either high or low

IMMUNOLOGIC
Repeated infections
Viral and fungal
Myobacterial
Candida and other yeast infections
Cancer
Autoimmune disorders
Arthritis
Lupis erythematosus (LE)
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Scleroderma
Amyolateral sclerosis (ALS)
Hypothyroidism

SYSTEMIC EFFECTS
Chronic headaches
Allergies
Severe dermatitus
Unexplained reactivity
Thyroid disturbance
Subnormal body temperature
Cold, clammy skin, especially hands and feer
Excessive perspiration, with frequent night sweats
Unexplained sensory symptoms, including pain
Unexpalined numbness or burning sensations
Unexplained anemia
G-6-PD deficiency
Chronic kidney disease
Nephrotic syndrome
Receiving renal dialysis
Kidney infection
Adrenal disease
General fatigue
Loss of appetite, with or without weight loss
Loss of weight
Hypoglycemia

http://www.icnr.com/uam/MercuryToxicitySymptoms.html

Virtually all sodas have high fructose corn syrup:

Mountain Dew lists its ingredients as:
Carbonated water
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
Concentrated orange juice and other natural flavors
Citric acid
Sodium benzoate (preserves freshness)
Caffeine (55.2 mg per 12 oz.)
Sodium citrate
Gum arabic
Erythorbic acid (preserves freshness)
Calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor)
Brominated vegetable oil
Yellow 5

...as well as most cereals:

Kellogg's Corn Flakes


Serving Size 1 cup (28g)

Amount per serving
Calories 101 Calories from Fat 1
Hide Daily Values % Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 202mg 8%
Total Carbohydrates 24g 8%
Dietary Fiber 1g
Sugars 3g
Protein 2g

Vitamin A 10% Vitamin C 10%
Calcium 0% Iron 45%
Thiamin 40% Riboflavin 43%
Niacin 34% Vitamin B6 48%
Vitamin B12 44% Folic Acid 31%
Vitamin D 11% Potassium 1%
Phosphorus 1% Magnesium 1%
Copper 2% %
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Show Daily Values Description:


Cereals ready-to-eat, KELLOGG, KELLOGG'S Corn Flakes

Ingredients:

MILLEDCORN, SUGAR, MALT FLAVORING, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, SALT, IRON,NIACINAMIDE, SODIUM ASCORBATE AND ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), PYRIDOXINEHYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), THIAMINHYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), VITAMIN A PALMITATE, FOLIC ACID, VITAMINB12, AND VITAMIN D. TO MAINTAIN QUALITY, BHT HAS BEEN ADDED TO THEPACKAGING.

Raisin Bran Cereal

Post Foods, LLC show contact info Ingredients:

Whole Grain Wheat, Raisins, Wheat Bran, Sugar*, Corn Syrup, Salt, Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour. Vitamins and Minerals: Reduced Iron, Niacinamide, Zinc Oxide (Source of Zinc)Vitamin B6, Vitamin A Palmitate, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1)Folic Acid, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D.

Post's website: http://www.postcereals.com/cereals/post_raisin_bran/#nutrition

On Post's website, they state, "Sugars on the Nutrition Facts panel include naturally occuring sugars such as fructose in fruit and lactose in dairy products as sucrose (table sugar) and high fructose corn syrup.

Study Finds High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury
Wednesday, January 28, 2009; 12:00 AM

MONDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Almost half of tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contained mercury, which was also found 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.

HFCS has replaced sugar as the sweetener in many beverages and foods such as breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments. On average, Americans consume about 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS, but teens and other high consumers can take in 80 percent more HFCS than average.

"Mercury is toxic in all its forms. 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 [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply," the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's Dr. David Wallinga, a co-author of both studies, said in a prepared statement.

In the first study, published in current issue of Environmental Health, researchers found detectable levels of mercury in nine of 20 samples of commercial HFCS.

And in the second study, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), a non-profit watchdog group, found that nearly one in three of 55 brand-name foods contained mercury. The chemical was found most commonly in HFCS-containing dairy products, dressings and condiments.

But an organization representing the refiners is disputing the results published in Environmental Health.

"This study appears to be based on outdated information of dubious significance," said Audrae Erickson, president of the Corn Refiners Association, in a statement. "Our industry has used mercury-free versions of the two re-agents mentioned in the study, hydrochloric acid and caustic soda, for several years. These mercury-free re-agents perform important functions, including adjusting pH balances."

However, the IATP told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that four plants in Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio and West Virginia still use "mercury-cell" technology that can lead to contamination.

IATP's Ben Lilliston also told HealthDay that the Environmental Health findings were based on information gathered by the FDA in 2005.

And the group's own study, while not peer-reviewed, was based on products "bought off the shelf in the autumn of 2008," Lilliston added.

The use of mercury-contaminated caustic soda in the production of HFCS is common. The contamination occurs when mercury cells are used to produce caustic soda.

"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. The good news is that mercury-free HFCS ingredients exist. Food companies just need a good push to only use those ingredients," Wallinga said in his prepared statement.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/26/AR2009012601831.html