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.
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.
Originally posted on The Green Fork.
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You can't find a single infant or toddler food/bever
http://shi
The next thing I'd like to know is how much HFCS do we consume relative to fish. For most people I would assume that it is WAY WAY more...so then maybe this becomes more relavent.
One suggestion for everybody out there. Go to localharve
The Cockroach Catcher
Commerce first. Always commerce first.
Thanks Kim.
http://en.
Our leaders let us down.
If companies can form a way to poison us through nearly everything there is to eat and drink, wouldn't it be feasible for them to be capable of creating food & drink that won't literally destroy our bodies?
This is all about Profit, and nothing more. The people's very lives have been sold out once again to gild the throne of consumeris
If we're not expendable for the mistakes of Wall Street, losing homes, jobs and sometimes our families or our very lives, we are for the treachery of Washington and being sent into needless and feckless wars, dying alone in the sand far from our families for a businessma
How was the scientific community silenced. Money?
Population control, anyone?
Confidenti
We are drowning in a sea of mercury, from every conceivabl
The outrage cannot be contained in media, in politics, in reportage. The reaction to this on the side of the public should be as violent as if someone were trying to directly inject mercury into you or your family's bloodstrea
The tiniest bit of mercury is capable of phenomenal damage to any living organism.
To PULL All High Fructose Corn Syrup TAINTED & POISONOUS Food & Drink Products is A GIVEN.
But this is not enough. Accountabi
Otherwise we are asking for ourselves and our children for disease, for the destructio
I just looked in my refrigerat
We can't trust our corrupt FDA to take care of us. They have a revolving door with GMO and chemical companies like Monsanto. You can even YouTube videos of the media telling you that led and mercury in food can actually be good. I trusted my government to protect the food supply up until about 6 months ago. After doing some heavy research into GMO, bovine growth hormone, heavy metals and fluoride in the water, I almost died. Well, I found out I've been slowly killing myself with all the crap that is needlessly added to our foods.
I was motivated to start eating whole, unprocesse
Know this: 80 symptoms of autism = 80 symptoms of mercury poisioning (There are no symptoms without a cause. HFCS--in combinatio
this is very big news that an everyday source in American food supply was covered up! Geez.
Pregnant women should not be exposed to mercury. Period. Most pregnant women know not to take OTC medicines without doctor approval, and most avoid nicotine and even caffeine. But no one would have thought to think twice about having ketchup, juice or pancake syrup.
I don't have the time to go looking for a farmer who claims he doesn't use steroids on his animals. Besides, years ago I had a professor tell me that organic farming needs to be proven. How can they claim they don't receive pesticide run off from the farm next door, if there is one? Organic bananas even cost so much more then regular ones. If they're not adding any pesticides or steroids, you'd think that would make all this stuff cheaper but no.
Although this site is obviously sponsored by the tuna industry, there are other ways to get Omega-3 through non-meat/f
You can flax seed in healthfood stores and even a lot of groceries now. It can be mixed into breads or sprinkled on cereals an in yogurt.
Although this sites claim may be true, there are better sources of Omega-3 than just fish, especially for pregnant women and developing children.