It's reckoned the average American eats 12 teaspoons a day of HFCS from snack foods and drinks, and consumption among teenagers may be around 80 per cent above average levels.

America’s Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) is calling for an immediate ban of HFCS to stop mercury contamination of food. "Mercury is toxic in all its forms," says IATP’s David Wallinga. "Given how much high-fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered."

(Source: Environmental Health, 2009; 8: 2).