Mercury Never Tasted Better!

The U.S. media is in a tizzy about a report that has found detectable levels of mercury in 50% of all high-fructose corn syrup and nearly 33% of 55 popular name-brand foods for which high-fructose corn syrup is one of the key ingredients.

This USA Today article links out to the study, the report, and the list of 55 mercury-containing foods. Of the 17 products found to contain mercury, I've eaten at least 10 of them. These are the ones that are in my fridge or pantry right now (but not for long):

• Hershey's Chocolate Syrup
• Coca-Cola Classic (maybe)
• Smucker's Strawberry Jelly
• Nesquik Chocolate Milk
  

Score another blow for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and against the American consumer!

For the other side, please refer to the Corn Refiners Association, which claims that high-fructose corn syrup is safe because it has been made without the use of mercury "for several years". Comforting.

One of the study's authors admits that 90% of U.S. production of high-fructose corn syrup is made without the use of mercury (leaving 10%!), but also that the ingredient is produced globally and imported.

Finally, "detectable" does not mean "dangerous". The conventional wisdom is that no amount of mercury is safe to consume, especially for kids, babies, and pregnant women, but toxicologists love their mantra that "dose is everything". A ConAgra spokesperson said that someone would have to eat 100 lbs. of Hunt's Tomato Ketchup per day to approach the EPA's stated maximum safe limit.