Snack food dangers

dachda · Post by **dachda** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 6:34 pm

Don't want seem like a nervous nelly, but considering we all love our game day snacks/soda and many of us have kids, thought I'd point this one out to everyone.

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) may contain mercury left as a residue in the production of caustic soda, a key ingredient in HFCS

See: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paula-cro ... 61331.html

From article:

The initial study [PDF] led by Renee Dufault, a now-retired Environmental Health Officer-c*m-whistleblower, was published yesterday in Environmental Health, and found that nearly half the samples of High Fructose Corn Syrup tested contained mercury residue.

Before now, our greatest threat for mercury exposure was through fish, followed by mercury amalgam in dentistry and through vaccines, as it is sometimes used as a preservative. But Dufault's study estimates that exposure via HFCS could be up to 50 times that of mercury amalgam exposure in children age 3-19, as this age group is the largest consumers of HFCS.

A second study, by David Wallinga, M.D. and his co-authors entitled "Not So Sweet: Missing Mercury and High Fructose Corn Syrup," [PDF] tested products directly from the supermarket. One in three tested positive for mercury residue. These included products like Smucker's Strawberry Jelly, Hunt's Tomato Ketchup, Hershey's Chocolate Syrup, Nutra Grain Strawberry Cereal Bars, Pop-Tarts Frosted Blueberry and Coca-Cola Classic.

_________________
Sir Dachda McKinty,

Margrave and Knight of Portlandia
Castles & Crusades Society

serleran · Post by **serleran** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 6:36 pm

I knew there was a reason eating those blasted Pop-Tarts made me want to drink tea...
_________________
If it matters, leave a message at the beep.
Serl's Corner

AGNKim · Post by **AGNKim** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 11:55 pm

If someone came up to me and told me, TOLD ME, that without a shadow of a doubt, my chocolate pop-tart and Pepsi have low levels of mercury, I would eat them anyway.

God help me, I would.
_________________
kim@trolllord.com

Click here: http://tiny.cc/4rvo5

MacLeod · Post by **MacLeod** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 12:28 am

I would probably eat more of such things with said knowledge. I love mercury. It tastes so good, it taste like someone injected millions of magical miniature candy canes into every cell.

Fat Dragon Games · Post by **Fat Dragon Games** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 1:03 am

AGNKim wrote:
If someone came up to me and told me, TOLD ME, that without a shadow of a doubt, my chocolate pop-tart and Pepsi have low levels of mercury, I would eat them anyway.

God help me, I would.

Kim... we gotta drink next Gen Con. You can eat as healthy as you want but still get run over by a bus. NOBODY IS TAKING MY POP-TARTS DAMNIT!
_________________
Thomas A. Tullis

Fat Dragon Games
www.fatdragongames.com

Castles & Crusades...more D&D than D&D.

Treebore · Post by **Treebore** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 1:16 am

Well, I hate Pop Tarts, but I am with you on the Pepsi. I am without a doubt a pathetic Pepsi addict!
_________________
The Ruby Lord, Earl of the Society

Next Con I am attending: http://www.neoncon.com/

My House Rules: http://www.freeyabb.com/phpbb/viewtopic ... llordgames

Lord Dynel · Post by **Lord Dynel** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 1:39 am

Everything is going to kill us. My dad told me many years ago, that the longer something exists the better chance someone will make claim that it's hazardous to our health. And I thought he was full of sh!t...silly me.
_________________
LD's C&C creations - the witch, a half-ogre, skill and 0-level rules

Troll Lord wrote:
Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.

DangerDwarf · Post by **DangerDwarf** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 1:47 am

Yeah, life kills.

What pisses me off are dolphin safe tuna nets. I always liked a little Flipper in my StarKist. Tuna just doesn't taste as good these days.

Fat Dragon Games · Post by **Fat Dragon Games** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 2:30 am

DangerDwarf wrote:
What pisses me off are dolphin safe tuna nets. I always liked a little Flipper in my StarKist. Tuna just doesn't taste as good these days.

QFT!
_________________
Thomas A. Tullis

Fat Dragon Games
www.fatdragongames.com

Castles & Crusades...more D&D than D&D.

mordrene · Post by **mordrene** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 5:12 pm

Lord Dynel wrote:
Everything is going to kill us. My dad told me many years ago, that the longer something exists the better chance someone will make claim that it's hazardous to our health. And I thought he was full of sh!t...silly me.

I once heard a wise man say, "sure I drink and smoke, i dont want to be in the hospital when I am eighty dying of nothing. I want some cool disease"

DangerDwarf · Post by **DangerDwarf** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 7:09 pm

Yeah, I want to spare myself the indignity of the Adult Diaper Years.

Lord Dynel · Post by **Lord Dynel** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 7:36 pm

DangerDwarf wrote:
Yeah, I want to spare myself the indignity of the Adult Diaper Years.

Exactly...when it comes time for me to crap myself, I'm going without the safety net. Belee dat!

_________________
LD's C&C creations - the witch, a half-ogre, skill and 0-level rules

Troll Lord wrote:
Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.

DangerDwarf · Post by **DangerDwarf** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 7:39 pm

Yeah but, "I made poopie in my pants" is definitely NOT going to help me score with the hawt nurses in the retirement home of my choosing.

Julian Grimm · Post by **Julian Grimm** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 9:30 pm

Coke? Coke? You can have my nectar of the gods when you pry the can out of my cold dead mercury tainted hands!!!
_________________
The Lord of Ravens
My blog

dachda · Post by **dachda** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 11:57 pm

I'm all for letting folks make their own decisions about how to poison themselves, but it ought to at least be a fully informed decision. We all know smoking cigs will kill use eventually, so that's an informed choice. But frankly, I don't like agro-business (or any other) corporations making my decisions for me 'cause I don't know what malfeasance they are up to.

Plus, guys, I don't care if you all die in a mercury induced mad hatter psychosis but I know alot of you have kids. I'm worried about them and their potential mercury exposure.
_________________
Sir Dachda McKinty,

Margrave and Knight of Portlandia
Castles & Crusades Society

Hawkwinter · Post by **Hawkwinter** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:54 am

dachda wrote:
Don't want seem like a nervous nelly, but considering we all love our game day snacks/soda and many of us have kids, thought I'd point this one out to everyone.

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) may contain mercury left as a residue in the production of caustic soda, a key ingredient in HFCS

See: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paula-cro ... 61331.html

From article:

The initial study [PDF] led by Renee Dufault, a now-retired Environmental Health Officer-c*m-whistleblower, was published yesterday in Environmental Health, and found that nearly half the samples of High Fructose Corn Syrup tested contained mercury residue.

Before now, our greatest threat for mercury exposure was through fish, followed by mercury amalgam in dentistry and through vaccines, as it is sometimes used as a preservative. But Dufault's study estimates that exposure via HFCS could be up to 50 times that of mercury amalgam exposure in children age 3-19, as this age group is the largest consumers of HFCS.

A second study, by David Wallinga, M.D. and his co-authors entitled "Not So Sweet: Missing Mercury and High Fructose Corn Syrup," [PDF] tested products directly from the supermarket. One in three tested positive for mercury residue. These included products like Smucker's Strawberry Jelly, Hunt's Tomato Ketchup, Hershey's Chocolate Syrup, Nutra Grain Strawberry Cereal Bars, Pop-Tarts Frosted Blueberry and Coca-Cola Classic.

See as a scientist, its studies like this that burn my biscuits. What the heck is mercury "residue". I sure as heck can't list "residue" as one of my residual compunds of active material I make...so why does the scientific community let a paper that uses a term like "Danger...mercury residue" get passed around. Is it elemental mercury...if so, I'm not sweating it..heh, get it... as only 0.01% of all elemental mercury is typically absorbed by gastric systems. Eating it...no biggie, fumes...yeah...its an issue. If its salts, okay...maybe, but in what form? Chlorination...probably not worried as dissolution is low. Other salts? Maybe. But thats the thing...throw out the word Mercury, and you have the public's attention...whether warrented or not. It makes me angry cause after so long of listening to people cry wolf about things they most likely do not have to worry about, when the real issues happen (and they will) everyone will be so apathetic they won't respond appropriately.

serleran · Post by **serleran** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:56 am

Zombie?
_________________
If it matters, leave a message at the beep.
Serl's Corner

dachda · Post by **dachda** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 5:12 am

Hawkwinter wrote:
See as a scientist, its studies like this that burn my biscuits. What the heck is mercury "residue". I sure as heck can't list "residue" as one of my residual compunds of active material I make...so why does the scientific community let a paper that uses a term like "Danger...mercury residue" get passed around. Is it elemental mercury...if so, I'm not sweating it..heh, get it... as only 0.01% of all elemental mercury is typically absorbed by gastric systems. Eating it...no biggie, fumes...yeah...its an issue. If its salts, okay...maybe, but in what form? Chlorination...probably not worried as dissolution is low. Other salts? Maybe. But thats the thing...throw out the word Mercury, and you have the public's attention...whether warrented or not. It makes me angry cause after so long of listening to people cry wolf about things they most likely do not have to worry about, when the real issues happen (and they will) everyone will be so apathetic they won't respond appropriately.

Sorry to have caused such a reaction. No one wants to turn to a fun gaming website and end up annoyed at some lame thread posting. I am certainly aware that in general the media do a poor job of translating science to the public so I completely understand your reaction to what I posted. I went back and looked at a couple of the sources, and like you mentioned they dont use the word residue (at least that I found). So I think that use comes from the Huffington Post article I first found this in, and would probably serve as yet another example of the media screwing up their science reporting.

If you want to check some of the sources, maybe you can tell us what you think. Maybe you could give us some tips on how to view these types of reports? How can we tell bad science reporting from a real issue that we need to pay attention to? My high school/college science classes are just too long ago to help me much any more. But no worries, feel free to ignore this thread, it will soon drop down the list and disappear.
One of the HFCS analysis studies used by the Environmental Health article was done in Sept. 2005 by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory, Analytic Chemistry Division, in Maryland. Its a 12 page pdf report found here: http://healthobservatory.org/library.cfm?refID=102881 The first five pages list their test methods and then there are pages of spreadsheets showing results. The link to the Journal of Environmental Health report was in the linked Huffington Post article.
_________________
Sir Dachda McKinty,

Margrave and Knight of Portlandia
Castles & Crusades Society

Hawkwinter · Post by **Hawkwinter** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 12:21 am

No no worries on your part. I have no problem with people being concerned. However, simply stating your science knowledge may not be the greatest is no reason to accept other peoples at face value...mine included. Science is your friend because it has no opinions, only fact. The trick is learning it enough to see where other people put their opinions in.

Thanks for the article...

First it lists Hg (elemental mercury) as the primary tested material in the corn syrup...not surprisingm ground waste and material construction plus many anti-fungals use mercury in them. Elemental Mercury is poorly absorbed by the gastro-intestinal system. It's not highly soluble, so take those numbers and divide them by 1000 and you have your level of potential exposure. That puts it at 1/2000 of the level of allowable water mercury we have now. The dangerous Mercury forms, Dimethylmercury (bad) Methylmercury and ethylmercury were all below the detectable limts of the assay...meaning whatver showed could have just as easily been noise in the test as a positive response. All in all, a great rallying cry for using the word Mercury, but not too much to worry about yet.

Again, I have no problems with people choosing whole foods and non-processed materials for their kids to help "protect" them, but I'm not a fan of people using hype-science to promote an agenda based on crying wolf. There are many materials that pose health threats being sold right nowin this country. I don't want people growing apathetic by becoming weary of constant "threats" that aren't only to miss the next Phen-Fen or All-Natural Enhancement pill containing liver carcinogenic weeds from Brazil.. (no not out there only an example). This statement is not directed at you Dachda...you only wanted to help warn people...but Doubt then verify is always good advice.

Sir Osis of Liver · Post by **Sir Osis of Liver** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 2:53 am

Most of the media, the Huffing-n-Puffington Post particularly, couldn't spell science, much less understand what it is. As another scientist, my gut wretches when the MSM tries reporting anything to which they attach the label, "science."

Bottom line...if your game goes better with more HFCS, knock yourself out. Enjoy it while you've got it. Next week, there'll be a study out that refutes the one that old Arianna cited.

Sir Osis of Liver

Sir Osis of Liver · Post by **Sir Osis of Liver** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 2:53 am

Most of the media, the Huffing-n-Puffington Post particularly, couldn't spell science, much less understand what it is. As another scientist, my gut wretches when the MSM tries reporting anything to which they attach the label, "science."

Bottom line...if your game goes better with more HFCS, knock yourself out. Enjoy it while you've got it. Next week, there'll be a study out that refutes the one that old Arianna cited.

Sir Osis of Liver

Sir Osis of Liver · Post by **Sir Osis of Liver** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 3:05 am

About 10 years ago, I attended a talk given by Bruce Ames. Ames is the person who developed the test that determines whether or not a chemical has the ability to cause DNA mutations and, possibly, cancer. This was when the whole "organic" movement was just beginning to spread its wings. He described how his lab had recently applied the test that bears his name (the "Ames Test") to all fertilizers and pesticides that were in use at the time. He showed that none of the compounds had any effect on the mutation rate, and thus did not have the ability to cause cancer.

He then reported having isolated ~30 compounds from a cup of coffee and running the same tests on them. Over 50% of these turned out to be mutagenic and, thus, had the potential to be carcinogens.

Bottom line...choose your poison carefully, and enjoy every second you have. Now pardon me while I go finish off my pot of coffee, chased with a 2-liter of Pepsi, half a bottle of Scotch and 3 glazed donuts. Oh yeah, then I think I'll smoke a pack to relax.

Happy Intoxication,

Sir Osis of Liver

Lord Dynel · Post by **Lord Dynel** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 1:09 pm

Sir Osis of Liver wrote:
Bottom line...choose your poison carefully, and enjoy every second you have. Now pardon me while I go finish off my pot of coffee, chased with a 2-liter of Pepsi, half a bottle of Scotch and 3 glazed donuts. Oh yeah, then I think I'll smoke a pack to relax.

Happy Intoxication,

Sir Osis of Liver

Hehe...well said, sir. I don't do anything conscious to kill myself, but I'm sure I do little things everyday that don't help matters any. But that's the key - enjoy yourself. When your on your deathbed in x amount of years it'll be far too late to by then.
_________________
LD's C&C creations - the witch, a half-ogre, skill and 0-level rules

Troll Lord wrote:
Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.

dutch206 · Post by **dutch206** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 1:50 pm

In that case, let me give you some REAL food scares. What's lurking in your pantry?
http://health.msn.com/nutrition/article ... &GT1=31036
_________________
Please. I have dice that are older than you are.

Sir Osis of Liver · Post by **Sir Osis of Liver** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 4:56 pm

I still think the functional question is, how does this affect what we do at the game table? To which I respond:

"Hey, can I get a Mountain Dew?"

"Where's the Cheetos?"

I'd find these stories far more entertaining if the correspondent on the by-line was Leroy Jenkins.
Sir Osis of Liver

Lord Dynel · Post by **Lord Dynel** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 5:08 pm

Sir Osis of Liver wrote:
I still think the functional question is, how does this affect what we do at the game table? To which I respond:

"Hey, can I get a Mountain Dew?"

"Where's the Cheetos?"

I'd find these stories far more entertaining if the correspondent on the by-line was Leroy Jenkins.
Sir Osis of Liver

Too funny, sir!
_________________
LD's C&C creations - the witch, a half-ogre, skill and 0-level rules

Troll Lord wrote:
Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.

Julian Grimm · Post by **Julian Grimm** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 6:29 pm

At this stage of the game I have seen too many food scares that were just scares to really pay too much attention to this. If we took note of every 'serious' threat to our health that was out there we'd all crumple into fetal positions and die of starvation, suffocation and paranoia before we're 20.

Someone needs to feed these guys a case of peanut butter crackers to shut them up.
_________________
The Lord of Ravens
My blog

Troll Lord Games

Snack food dangers

Snack food dangers

Re: Snack food dangers

Re: Snack food dangers

Media + Science = Huh?!

Media + Science = Huh?!

And another thing....

Re: And another thing....

Again, putting this into a gaming context...

Re: Again, putting this into a gaming context...