Mercury Detected In Popular Sweetener

Next time you bite into a Quaker Oatmeal To Go Bar®, pour on Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup® or chomp down on a Manwich Gold Sloppy Joe® you may want to think twice. New research has shown that a good number of products produced by the most popular American food manufacturers that are sweetened with High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) may be contaminated with Mercury.

HFCS has become a common replacement for sugar as a sweetening agent in a host of foods in the United States. The product is prevalent in many of the products manufactured by such well-known and trusted organizations like Quaker, Hershey’s, Kraft and Smucker’s. The sweetener is found in just about every type of food on the grocer’s shelf including beverages, breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments.

A study funded by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) found measurable levels of mercury in one-third of 55 popular food brands tested where HFCS was listed as either the first or the second highest labeled ingredient. With the average American consuming 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS and with teenagers consuming up to 80 percent more than this amount, the consumption level of the mercury-containing product was of concern to researchers.

“Mercury is toxic in all its forms,” said IATP study leader David Wallinga, M.D. “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 (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply.”

Mercury enters the HFCS production process through the use of caustic soda to separate corn starch from the corn kernel. The industry has been using a mercury-grade caustic soda for many years that is produced in industrial chlorine plants. The mercury can contaminate the caustic soda, which in turn contaminates the HFCS with mercury.

Here are just some of the popular products in the study found to contain mercury: Kraft Original BBQ Sauce®, Smucker’s Strawberry Jelly®, Hunt’s Tomato Ketchup®, Minute Maid Berry Punch®, Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup®, Pop-Tarts Frosted Blueberry® and Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt®.

“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.”

Source: The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. “Much Higher Fructose Corn Syrup Contaminated with Mercury, New Study Finds.” January 2009. http://www.iatp.org/iatp/press.cfm?refID=105025

Dr. Craig’s Comments:

This is just another thing to look for when you are purchasing fuel for your body, aka food. You wouldn’t put dirty or contaminated gasoline into your car.  Don’t put this stuff into your body! Look at your labels for High Fructose Corn Syrup. If you find it on the label – put it back on the shelf. HFCS is bad for your body in so many ways – look it up online. Even if you do find a mercury-free brand – don’t buy it! Your body will feel better and last longer by following this simple piece of advice.

Speak Up and Educate Others,