October 15, 2009
 “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.”
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, published Jul 31, 2009 in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry,(1) 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 (48.8 degrees Celsius).
"The data are important for commercial beekeepers, for manufacturers of HFCS, and for purposes of food storage,” the report states. “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 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.
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1. Article: "Formation of Hydroxymethylfurfural in Domestic High-Fructose Corn Syrup and Its Toxicity to the Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)" Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry, Jul 31, 2009. You can read the full text of this article free at http://pubs.acs.org/stoken/presspac/presspac/full/10.1021/jf9014526
Source: American Chemical Society news release, Oct 14, 2009
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