High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) may contain unsafe levels of mercury. The study published in January’s Environmental Health analyzed HFCS from three different manufacturing plants and found mercury levels ranging from 0.005 to 0.570 micrograms of mercury per gram of HFCS. The mercury found in the HFCS comes from mercury grade caustic soda used during manufacturing as part of the preservative system.
The average American consumes 50 grams of HFCS per day, which could translate to 28.5 mcg of mercury per day. This falls well above the 0.1 mg/kg limit on mercury consumption recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). For a 150 pound person, the EPA limit would be 6.8 mcg/day. As a potent neurological toxin, mercury is particularly harmful for children and pregnant women. Case studies have related mercury exposure to tremors, impaired cognitive function, sleep disturbances, chest pain, depression, kidney problems and more.
This report is just another reason to limit or avoid foods containing ”high fructose corn syrup” in the ingredients. These foods can include: sauces (including ketchup, BBQ sauce, salad dressing, chocolate syrup and maple syrup), breads, crackers, cookies, packaged mixes, juice, popsicles, candy, baked goods, and more…
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Dufault R, LeBlanc B, Schnoll R, et. al. A Mercury from chlor-alkali plants: measured concentrations in food product sugar. Environmental Health 2009, 8:2
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