PSA from the Corn Refiners Association

Single Studies are often flawed, but PR is more flawed (4.00 / 3)

Having been involved in a couple of disputes like this regarding aromatics, it is obvious to me that single studies that "prove" something are often flawed.  That is why the scientific community requires publication of results and replication of studies.

In the area of safety and toxicity, even when the evidence is ambiguous, and there are lots of studies, the battle often takes place in the Public Relations arena, and the actual science is ignored.  It starts with the Press Releases that accompany the publication of the studies, written by people who don't understand the study, but who have a particular point of view they are trying to promote.

With respect to HFCS, there are lots of studies out there that show that it is bad for you, but the battle is being waged in the PR area. And I'm not sure that the ChemRisk study is actually a study--it looks more like a response to me.

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by: earwicker23 @ Thu Feb 26, 2009 at 02:05:58 AM UTC

The Mercury issue is a red herring (4.00 / 4)

I just read the Alternet Article.  Clearly, the HFCS defenders have attacked you on what is generally a minor point. You used the mercury contamination to help make your point in the article; they are fighting back. But in fact mercury contamination in HFCS has always been a minor problem compared to the much more significant research that shows that the consumption of high amounts of fructose are bad for you, probably being a major causative factor in our epidemic of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. And HFCS and it's high use increases the fructose consumption to dangerous levels.

The mercury contamination is a minor point. Methinks they protest too much about that to obfuscate the larger issues.

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by: earwicker23 @ Thu Feb 26, 2009 at 02:21:00 AM UTC

I looked in their rebuttal study (4.00 / 3)

and it's basically a statement that the first study found very low amts of mercury in the HFCS. Which is true. And that IS something I looked into. I'm not afraid of math.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Thu Feb 26, 2009 at 02:24:30 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Well now that you've shared the other side... (4.00 / 4)

I'm still incredibly concerned about the high levels of HFCS found in everything!

So there.

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by: TheFatLadySings @ Thu Feb 26, 2009 at 03:53:47 AM UTC

Seconded! (4.00 / 2)

Or thirded, fourthed, fifthed, seventy-six-million-eighty-ninthed, whatever...

:)

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Thu Feb 26, 2009 at 04:17:21 AM UTC

[ Parent ]