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