According to an article today on WebMD, some foods and drinks rich in high-fructose corn syrup may contain detectable levels of mercury, a new report shows. As if you needed another reason to avoid high fructose corn syrup!
The report, published on the web site of the Minneapolis-based nonprofit Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), shows detectable levels of mercury in 17 out of 55 tested products rich in high-fructose corn syrup.
"Overall, we found detectable mercury in 17 of 55 samples, or around 31%," write Wallinga and colleagues. Here is the list of those products:
* Quaker Oatmeal to Go bars
* Jack Daniel's Barbecue Sauce
* Hershey's Chocolate Syrup
* Kraft Original Barbecue Sauce
* Nutri-Grain Strawberry Cereal Bars
* Manwich Gold Sloppy Joe
* Market Pantry Grape Jelly
* Smucker's Strawberry Jelly
* Pop-Tarts Frosted Blueberry
* Hunt's Tomato Ketchup
* Wish-Bone Western Sweet & Smooth Dressing
* Coca-Cola Classic: no mercury found on a second test
* Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt
* Minute Maid Berry Punch
* Yoo-hoo Chocolate Drink
* Nesquik Chocolate Milk
* Kemps Fat Free Chocolate Milk
Wallinga and colleagues caution that their list was "just a snapshot in time; we only tested one sample of each product. That clearly is not sufficient grounds to give definitive advice to consumers."
It is not difficult to avoid high fructose corn syrup; just read the food/drink label. It seems like it is in nearly everything! I highly recommend this WebMD article, especially to all parents. Click the title link for the article.
Posts
