Come the Revolution

This isn’t pretty, but it’s true: When I read that researchers found traces of mercury in nine samples of corn syrup, I laughed.

Of course they did. Of course! It figures that one of the worst products ever to hit American diets and agriculture would also contain a potent neurotoxin. Alanis would probably even call it ironic, although your high school English teacher would almost certainly disagree.

But no, the presence of mercury in corn syrup wasn’t what surprised me about the Chicago Tribune article. What got me was this:

High-fructose corn syrup has become such a staple in processed foods that the average American consumes 12 teaspoons of it daily, according to federal estimates.

TWELVE teaspoons?! Every day? Wow. That is an absurd amount of sweetener. That makes the sugar I pour into my coffee look paltry by comparison.

I suppose it really shouldn’t be so surprising; the stuff is found in everything from bread to ketchup to lunch meats. You could make yourself a freakin’ corn syrup sandwich! Seriously!

Corn syrup has a time and a place. Some candies really are best made with that particular variety of sweet stuff. But corn syrup adds lots of calories and no nutritional value, and has been linked to rising obesity rates and diabetes (although the final verdict isn’t in on those counts).

On top of that, the demand for cheap corn syrup contributes to the industrialized growth of corn as a monoculture, which requires massive amounts of fertilizer and pesticides (not to mention the fact that it fosters erosion). And the corn syrup in your soft drink may well be genetically modified, which is a whole ‘nother kettle of fish.

Add to that the possible presence of trace amount of mercury from the manufacturing process, and you’ve got a solid case for avoiding the stuff altogether. Here are some resources:

• Accidental Hedonist’s list of products containing corn syrup
• Allie’s posts on HFCS-free foodstuffs
• wikiHow: Avoid Corn Syrup
• A shockingly long list of common ingredients which can be (but are not always) made from corn

Photo by Ohad.

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