FDA Has Known About Mercury In Corn Syrup For Years - Dallas Cowboys Forum

LehighCowboy · 01-27-2009

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leslie..._b_161334.html

Quote:

Our Melamine: There's Mercury in High Fructose Corn Syrup, and the FDA Has Known for Years

Maybe Jeremy Piven didn't get mercury poisoning from fish at all -- according to the results of a new study released by the Institute for Agriculture and Trace Policy (IATP), the actor may well have been sickened by soda or candy or anything that contains high fructose corn syrup, which, if you eat processed food in this country means, well, just about anything.
[View Full Quote] Foodies and nutritionists alike have been griping about high fructose corn syrup for years, and the industry has responded with an "astroturf" campaign and a level of secrecy generally reserved for military officials or secret societies (see Corn Refiners' Association president Audrae Erickson's stonewalling performance in King Corn).
Of course, I wouldn't want to show my hand either, if the making of my product could be described as the undertaking of a "small Manhattan Project" (see eye-glazing production info here). But as it turns out, the HFCS industry has been hiding some major skeletons in its closet -- according to the IATP study (pdf), over 30% of products containing the substance tested positive for mercury.
What makes this news truly shocking is not just that the manufacturers of high fructose corn syrup would put consumers' health at risk, but that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) knew about the mercury in the syrup, and has been sitting on this information since 2005.
Here's the connection, according to the IATP press release (pdf): The IATP study comes on the heels of another study, conducted in 2005 but only recently published by the scientific journal, Environmental Health, which revealed that nearly 50 percent of commercial HFCS samples tested positive for the heavy metal. Renee Dufault, who was working for the FDA at the time, was among the 2005 study's authors. In spite of Dufault's involvement in the study, the FDA sat silent on this one for three years, and in fact last August, allowed manufacturers to call the sweetener "natural."
Here's how the mercury gets in there, according to Janet at the Ethicurean:

How did the heavy metal get in there? In making HFCS -- that "natural" sweetener, as the Corn Refiners Associaton likes to call it -- caustic soda is one ingredient used to separate corn starch from the corn kernel. Apparently most caustic soda for years has been produced in industrial chlorine (chlor-alkali) plants, where it can be contaminated with mercury that it passes on to the HFCS, and then to consumers.

And more from the press release:

"While the FDA had evidence that commercial HFCS was contaminated with mercury four years ago, the agency did not inform consumers, help change industry practice or conduct additional testing."

And on why this matters:

"Mercury is toxic in all its forms," said IATP's David Wallinga, M.D., and a co-author in both studies. "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 to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply."

In China, heads might roll over a scandal like this one, at least if the country received global attention for its allowing corrupt health officials' greasy palms to come before, um, public health.
Of course, in this country, the FDA's "neck" is safe. But what about the health of American consumers? Let's see the Corn Refiners' Association try to spin this one.

Kangaroo · 01-27-2009

That bites since 90% of everything they sweetened now days is HFCS because it is so cheap.

That is not to mention the other side effects HFCS causes on it's own

CowboyMcCoy · 01-27-2009

Does this tee anyone else of besides me?

CowboyMcCoy · 01-27-2009

You see, this isn't in corporate interest and so we see who runs the government along with the FDA. Corruption is that voice in their heads called greed, and so they exploit the public on the behalf of the select few.

Also, look at who it is on the FDA. My Lord.

LehighCowboy · 01-27-2009

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Originally Posted by CowboyMcCoy

Does this tee anyone else of besides me?

How the government could be withholding this information from the public for so long is UNREAL. I advise everybody to send this article to as many people as possible to spread the world....You may just save a life. Seriously.

zrinkill · 01-28-2009

Has this been reported anywhere except the Inquirer or the huffingtonpost?

masomenos · 01-28-2009

To go along with this story, yesterday there was a HFCS/Mercury story in the Washington Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...012601831.html

and Reuters...

http://uk.reuters.com/article/health...50Q5IA20090127

This may be a pretty legit thing.

zrinkill · 01-28-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by masomenos85

To go along with this story, yesterday there was a HFCS/Mercury story in the Washington Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...012601831.html

and Reuters...

http://uk.reuters.com/article/health...50Q5IA20090127

This may be a pretty legit thing.

Thank you ..... those two articles do not seem near as panicked or full of "government conspiracy" bullcrap as the original gossip mag one did.

masomenos · 01-28-2009

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Originally Posted by zrinkill

Thank you ..... those two articles do not seem near as panicked or full of "government conspiracy" bullcrap as the original gossip mag one did.

Less panicked, but also less interesting. News and entertainment go hand in hand, unfortunately.

CowboyMcCoy · 01-28-2009

Some people put a lot of faith in government.

JBond · 01-28-2009

George Bush did it. With help from Saudi Arabia.

**BrAinPaiNt** · 01-28-2009

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Originally Posted by JBond

George Bush did it. With help from Saudi Arabia.

This seems to be more of a W and China or Putin collaboration...Putin likes to poison and china likes the lead...so we make the leap in logic that it must be those two.

That is a Joke...just in case someone is too much of a conspiracy nut and takes it seriously.