According to two new U. S. studies commercial high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) was linked to mercury. One study indicated that many food items made using commercial high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contained mercury while a second study indicated that corn syrup was itself was contaminated.

HFCS is being used in many beverages and foods such as breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments in place of sugar. The studies reported that the consumption of HFCS was so high that it is the first or the second highest labeled ingredient.

Dr. David Wallinga, of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy and a co-author of both studies said, "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. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the [U. S. Food and Drug Administration] to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply."

One study by former Food and Drug Administration scientist Renee Dufault and colleagues, 20 samples of high fructose corn syrup were tested and detectable mercury was found in nine of them. The study was published in current issue of Environmental Health.

The second study found one in three of 55 brand-name foods contained mercury. The chemical was most common in HFCS-containing dairy products, dressings and condiments.

Dr. Wallinga, a food safety researcher said he followed up on the report to find mercury in actual food. "We went and looked at supermarket samples where high fructose corn syrup was the first or second ingredient on the label," he said. These 55 different foods included barbecue sauce, jam, yogurt and chocolate syrup. We found about one out of three had mercury above the detection limit," Wallinga said.

Challenging the findings the Corn Refiners Association said in a statement, "This study appears to be based on outdated information of dubious significance." They refuted Wallinga and colleagues claims that mercury got into the food during manufacture in plants that use mercury-grade caustic soda produced in industrial chlorine plants.

"Our industry has used mercury-free versions of the two reagents mentioned in the study, hydrochloric acid and caustic soda, for several years," Audrae Erickson, president of the Corn Refiners Association, said in a statement.

Dr. Wallinga said his team did not test foods that did not contain corn syrup to see if they were also high in mercury. "The bad news is that nobody knows whether or not their soda or snack food contains HFCS made from ingredients like caustic soda contaminated with mercury. The good news is that mercury-free HFCS ingredients exist. Food companies just need a good push to only use those ingredients," Wallinga said.