Not So Sweet: Missing Mercury and High Fructose Corn Syrup
 

I submit this document for informational purposes. The report is easy to read and comprehend by a lay-person. It does make one stop, pause and ask questions like, "Do I know what is in the products I consume?" AND "Do I know how to read a product label?" AND "Do I consume too many convenience foods?"



Not So Sweet: Missing Mercury and High Fructose Corn Syrup

http://www.healthobservatory.org/library.cfm?refid=105026


by David Wallinga, M.D., Janelle Sorensen, Pooja Mottl, Brian Yablon, M.D.

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Minneapolis, Minnesota


Published January 2009


The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy works locally and globally at the intersection of policy and practice to ensure fair and sustainable food, farm and trade systems.

Executive summary (partial excerpt from "Executive summary")

We live in a truly global food system. Our system typically is geared more toward producing lots of cheap calories, and then selling those calories to consumers, than it is toward meeting other goals like reducing fossil fuel use or producing food that is healthy.

In stark relief, new science shows just how blind to healthfulness some processed food makers have been. Just published online in the journal, Environmental Health (http://www.ehjournal.net/
home/), is a science commentary reporting that mercury was found in 9 of 20 samples of commercial high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a common sweetener of foods and beverages. The HFCS came from three different manufacturers.

Mercury is a potent brain toxin that we know accumulates in fish and seafood, although diet is not the only route by which we are exposed. When babies are exposed to elevated mercury in the womb, their brains may develop abnormally, impairing learning abilities and reducing IQ. For these youngest children, the science increasingly suggests there may be no “safe” level of exposure to mercury.

Introduction (partical excerpt from the Introduction)

The American diet has changed dramatically over the last generation. In particular, the prevalence of chemical or synthetic inputs to foods has skyrocketed, as has the quantity of such foods we consume.

One example is the substitution of HFCS for table sugar. High fructose corn syrup was introduced
to the American market in 1967, and ever since, its consumption has exploded.1 By 1984, Coca-Cola had transitioned to sweetening its sodas sold in the United States with HFCS instead of table sugar (sucrose); other beverage companies quickly followed suit.2 Today, HFCS is found in a stunning array of processed foods: breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments, among many others. It is a cheap staple of the industry.

From 1970 to 1990, the rising intake of HFCS far exceeded the change for any other food or food group. On average, Americans today consume about 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS, accounting for approximately 1 in 10 calories.

Such a rapid transformation in the American diet raises important questions: What are the potential health impacts of HFCS consumption? What exactly is HFCS and where does it come from? And what additional risks to consumers may stem from the industrialized processes by which HFCS is made and used?


Comprehending Food Labels

http://life.familyeducation.com/home-ec/foods/44289.html?page=1

Learn how to read food labels

* Learn how to read food labels
* Nutrition facts and more
* Percent daily values
* Nutrition and health claims
* Tips

high fructose corn syrup
 

Michael Pollan's marvelous book, The Omnivore's Dilemma, points out many of the consequences of our disastrous dependence on HFCS -- from diabetes to an agricultural policy with a disproportionate emphasis on corn. It also discusses alternatives, such as Joel Salatin's remarkable Polyface Farm in Virginia. Very readable and may change many of the ways we think about food. Jon