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mercury tainted hfcs in produce, say researchers
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a policy group is calling on the us food safety regulator and industry to make changes to practices as two studies claim the food supply is being contaminated by mercury tainted high fructose corn syrup. according to a new article published this week in the journal, environmental health, m ercury was found in nearly 50 per cent of tested samples of commercial high fructose corn syrup (hfcs). and a separate study by the us institute for agriculture and trade policy (iatp) claims mercury was detected in nearly one-third of 55 brand name food and beverage products where hfcs is the first or second highest labelled ingredient, including, it claims, products by quaker, hershey’s, kraft and smucker’s. iatp’s dr david wallinga, md and co-author of both studies, said that the food and drug administration (fda) and food and beverage manufacturers must act now to eliminate what he claims is avoidable mercury contamination of food and drink products. “mercury is toxic in all its forms. given how much high-fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered,” he added. hfcs consumption hfcs is found in sweetened beverages, breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments. on average, americans consume about 12 teaspoons per day of hfcs, according to the iatp. it is said to have a similar sweetness and flavour profile to sucrose, but able to better control microbial growth and crystallization, and is also considered to help retain texture in canned and baked goods, promote controlled browning in baked goods and cereals, remain stable in temperature fluctuations and to blend easily with other ingredients. ‘cause of contamination’ wallinga said that, for decades, hfcs has been made using mercury-grade caustic soda produced in industrial chlorine (chlor-alkali) plants. the caustic soda is used, among other things, to separate corn starch from the corn kernel, he explained. the use of mercury cells to produce caustic soda can contaminate it, and ultimately hfcs, with mercury, continued wallinga. test outcomes the iatp said that it sent 55 brand-name foods and beverages containing hfcs as the first or second ingredient to a commercial laboratory to be tested for total mercury: “nearly one in three products tested contained detectable mercury. mercury was most prevalent in hfcs containing dairy products, followed by dressings and condiments,” said the institute. in the environmental health article, the researchers found detectable levels of mercury in nine of 20 samples of commercial hfcs in tests conducted in 2005. the authors concluded that possible mercury contamination of food chemicals like hfcs was not common knowledge within the food industry that frequently uses the sweetener. industry defence however, the industry body, the corn refiners association (cra), said that the study in environmental health is misleading. “the study appears to be based on outdated information since the corn industry has used mercury-free versions of the two re-agents mentioned in the study, hydrochloric acid and caustic soda, for several years." a spokesperson for the cra told foodproductiondaily.com that it is important that consumers understand that hfcs is safe. according to a recent statement by the fda, hfcs may be labelled 'natural' when synthetic fixing agents do not come into contact with it during manufacturing. mercury-free sweetener the iatp claims that while most chlorine plants around the world have switched to newer, cleaner technologies, many still rely on the use of mercury cells. however, mercury-free hfcs ingredients exist, added wallinga. he said that food companies just need a good push to only use those ingredients. source: environmental health 2009 8:2 26 january published online ahead of print - doi: 10.1186/1476-069x-8-2 title: mercury from chlor-alkali plants: measured concentrations in food product sugar authors: dufault, r; leblanc, b; schnoll, r; cornett, c; schweitzer, l; patrick, l; hightower, j; wallinga, d; lukiw, w. source: institute for agriculture and trade policy (iatp) 26 january 2009 title: not so sweet: missing mercury and high fructose corn syrup authors: wallinga, d; sorensen, j; mottl, p; yablon, b.
Source :Food Safety, HACCP, Food Quality, Food Microbiology, Hygiene
Date :
28
January
2009
Category :
Food And Health
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reducing meat and dairy consumption, eating fewer fatty and sugary foods, and wasting less food are the three changes to consumption habits that will have the biggest impact on making diets more sustainable, says a new report. the sustainable consumption commission was asked by the uk government’s department for environment, food, rural affairs to map out evidence on sustainable diets and look at synergies and tensions between public health, the environment, social inequalities, and economic stability.
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high-fructose corn syrup has taken our food shelves by storm. it is present in many different types of bread, cereals, breakfast bars, yogurts, soups and sugary beverages. it is estimated that, on a typical day, an american consumes an average of 12 teaspoons of such syrup. further, teenagers and others with high consumption may even be taking in up to 80% more than average. recently, two separate studies, one published in the journal environmental health and the other conducted by the institute for agriculture and trade policy (iatp), have revealed a further danger of high-fructose corn syrup, having found that it may contain mercury.
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the growing kosher market is prompting manufacturers in countries without much local demand to gain certification so they can export to the high-potential us, and some are exporing continuous kosher production to keep down costs. rabbi eliyahu safran, vp of communications and marekting at kosher certification service the orthodox union (ou) told foodnavigator.
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do functional foods work? watching recent actions by scientific agencies, regulators and industry players themselves of late, one might be forgiven for thinking that the functional foods dream is falling a little short of the reality. we’re talking about the biggest food companies in the world being told the claims that help sell some of their foods are deceptive and misleading.
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by-products from food production pose a major problem to industry. foodnavigator is seeking your views on how food companies can minimise their waste and put their leftovers to good use. several factors are driving companies to take another look at their waste – not least the issue of disposal. some 4.1m tonnes of food waste coming solely from food manufacturers in the uk alone every year, according to the waste and resources action programme.
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cosucra groupe warcoing is seeking to press home the message that pea protein can be used in place of milk protein, reflecting a trend that has picked up speed in the ingredients sector in the light of high dairy prices. milk processors have been hard hit by the recent shortage of milk availability. meanwhile, the price of wholesale milk doubled between 2006 and 2007, which had a knock-on effect on dairy derivatives.
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a fibre-rich powder from banana powder could boost the fibre content and nutritional content of food, report researchers from mexico and venezuela. the research, published in the journal food chemistry , taps into the trend for development of ingredients with health and wellness functionality. "due to its high total dietary fibre and indigestible fraction contents the banana fibre-rich powder (bfrp) appears a promising ingredient for functional foods," wrote the authors, from the centro de desarrollo de productos bioticos del ipn and the central university of venezuela.
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