When heated, high-fructose corn syrup can be dangerous

R&D Daily ^ | August 26, 2009 | NA

[neverdem]

Researchers have established the conditions that foster formation of potentially dangerous levels of a toxic substance in the high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) often fed to honey bees. Their study, which appears in the current issue of ACS' bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, could also help keep the substance out of soft drinks and dozens of other human foods that contain HFCS. The substance, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), forms mainly from heating fructose.

In the new study, Blaise LeBlanc and Gillian Eggleston and colleagues note HFCS's ubiquitous usage as a sweetener in beverages and processed foods. Some commercial beekeepers also feed it to bees to increase reproduction and honey production. When exposed to warm temperatures, HFCS can form HMF and kill honeybees. Some researchers believe that HMF may be a factor in Colony Collapse Disorder, a mysterious disease that has killed at least one-third of the honeybee population in the United States.

The scientists measured levels of HMF in HFCS products from different manufacturers over a period of 35 days at different temperatures. As temperatures rose, levels of HMF increased steadily. Levels jumped dramatically at about 120 degrees Fahrenheit. "The data are important for commercial beekeepers, for manufacturers of HFCS, and for purposes of food storage. Because HFCS is incorporated as a sweetener in many processed foods, the data from this study are important for human health as well," the report states. It adds that studies have linked HMF to DNA damage in humans. In addition, HMF breaks down in the body to other substances potentially more harmful than HMF.

"Formation of Hydroxymethylfurfural in Domestic High-Fructose Corn Syrup and Its Toxicity to the Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)"

SOURCE: American Chemical Society

[goodnesswins]

"Some researchers believe that HMF may be a factor in Colony Collapse Disorder, a mysterious disease that has killed at least one-third of the honeybee population in the United States."

HHMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[JRandomFreeper]

Best to just roll that sugar into the ferment barrels and watch for revenuers.

/johnny

[Larry Lucido]

So can water.

[Frantzie]

I knew an oddball guy who would have lunch at Quiznos. He said diet coke left out in the heat was very bad for you. Could be exposed to hot sunlight in transit or storage and you drink it later obviously cooled. He would not drink it. it is not very good for you anyway.

[Rembrandt]

I store my soft drinks at 125 deg. F, doesn’t everyone?

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

So I guess divinity is deadly.

I only thought it was fattening.

[To Hell With Poverty]

HFC is one of those things I read about and think “Now, next time I go to the store I should really check the labels first”...and then I forget. Same thing with “Made in China.” :/

[MediaMole]

Aspartame does change in taste when stored at elevated temps. It isn’t supposed to be any worse for you when it has turned, but it does have an odd, metallic taste.

[maine-iac7]

ping

[doc1019]

The Craig Ferguson show is much more humorous and more fun to watch then his boss, Letterman.

[presently no screen name]

??

[griffin]

(singing)
One of these things is not like the other,
One of these things is not quite the same...
(/singing)

[rfp1234]

Another excuse for a massive soda tax.

[neverdem]

I store my soft drinks at 125 deg. F, doesn’t everyone?

That could be the temperature in the trunk of a car.

Why don't you read the link? You might learn something. The HFCS-55 used in soft drinks is made from HFCS-90 and HFCS-42. HFCS-42 is used in baked/cooked/processed food.

[FredZarguna]

My wife would not permit the kids to have caffeinated soda after several wall bouncing episodes, so I had to keep my beloved Pepsi in the trunk of my car. Needless to say, in June, July and August I stored soft drinks at 125 deg F. No problems, except that it turned me into a VRWC whackjob. Oh, yeah, a "racist," too. Other than that, no problems.

[Vendome]

Oh, and aren’t we condescending tonight. /s lol

[TheLurkerX]

Above 86 degrees, aspartame breaks down into crap you don't want to ingest. That's why it wasn't approved for baked goods originally. It's crap on a stick anyway, having caused cancer in rats, which they did their best to cover up, and it should have never been approved, but it's even worse when heated. They can tell you it's safe all they want, but too many people suffer problems that go away when they stop ingesting it, and I've known people who drank diet soda like it was going out of style and developed brain tumors. It's also off limits to military pilots, because of the chance of seizures. I'd rather not take a chance on it, so I consume as little of it as possible.

Seems kind of stupid to worry about high fructose corn syrup, when aspartame is so bad for you, and it only got approved through politics and payoffs to begin with.

[Rio]

I don’t feed any corn syrup to my bees. and, as a chemical engineer, i’m far more worried about “sucralose” than any other sweetener.

Long live sucrose!

[maine-iac7]

here too

http://pubs.acs.org/stoken/presspac/presspac/full/10.1021/jf9014526?cookieSet=1

I have written about/against HFCS for some years - I hope it's taken our of our drinks, candies, gums, drinks, etc. SOON

There are more soda bottling companies coming out with ‘old timey’ soda made with cane sugar and in glass bottles.
I heard that Coca Cola may put their Classic Coke in glass bottles with sugar also. (Actually, it's long irritated me that they DO make coke with sugar and in glass bottles for both Canada and Mexico as those countries won't allow HFCS and they want glass bottles. So, since they do make it, why the heck can't we at least have ONE of their many different cokes this way?