have cut down my pepsi addiction since finding out about the pesticides it contains, but since found out about a few other nasty surprises.....

firstly.....high fructose corn syrup in soft drinks/junk food contains..... mostly genetically modified corn.

secondly.....they extract the syrup, then add a chemical to the syrup so its not even a natural sweetner.

alan watt, quoting from article in washington post.... it contains mercury!

now i know why i am a bit dumded down.

will have to think twice or three times before buying my next 1.25 litre pepsi.

The report that claimed pesticide levels in India (and nowhere else) can be found at http://www.cseindia.org/html/cola-indepth/softdrinks_report.pdf and if you are concerned about this kind of thing I recommend you read the whole thing.

From another article (www.ens-newswire.com/ens/aug2003/2003-08-08-01.asp):

The CSE said it found residues of lindane, DDT, malathion, and chlorpyrifosup to 36 times the maximum allowable limits set down by European regulations for pesticides in water used as food.

Last time I checked we are not in India, and India isn't in Europe...

As water was the primary ingredient for soft drinks and I would have loved to see the same tests done on the water used in the manufacturing processes, but then again that wouldn't sell the story at all would it?

To be honest my main concern with softdrinks is adding too much rum or grey goose

Peter mac is paranoid but high frustose corn syrup is interesting. He is still wrong though...

High fructose corn syrup has been linked to obesity. In America, it is used instead of sugar. The American corn lobby have pushed for it as an alternative to importing South American sugar.

It has been suggested that North America is not interested in any white powder being imported from South America....

Peter is paranoid though because

HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP IS NOT USED IN AUSTRALIA. IF HE READS THE LABEL IT WILL SAY "CANE SUGAR"

I think I'd rather be paranoid than a ginger pom

ginger pom said...
HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP IS NOT USED IN AUSTRALIA. IF HE READS THE LABEL IT WILL SAY "CANE SUGAR"

Why read the label when you can do all your research on the internets? Some people like being paranoid, stop spoiling their fun with your "science".

corn syrup is now in hundreds, maybe thousands of different foods.

much of this corn is probably genetically modified.

much of the australian produced food we buy is made from imported ingredients.

not heard anything that this corn syrup is not allowed in australian food production.

then there is the food we buy direct from U.S.

look at the studies that have already been done on rats fed G.M food.

australians are consuming this stuff from imported foods.

maybe from australian produce as well.

hope its not a tenth as bad for us as studies suggest.

petermac33 said...

corn syrup is now in hundreds, maybe thousands of different foods.

much of this corn is probably genetically modified.

much of the australian produced food we buy is made from imported ingredients.

not heard anything that this corn syrup is not allowed in australian food production.

then there is the food we buy direct from U.S.

look at the studies that have already been done on rats fed G.M food.

australians are consuming this stuff from imported foods.

maybe from australian produce as well.

hope its not a tenth as bad for us as studies suggest.

You're right to be concerned if you buy imported food from specific shops - like gift shops for people who miss home.

In general though, people who make food will use ingredients that are cheaper so that they make more profit. They will import ingredients to do this. HFCS is not cheaper than sugar in Australia (because taxes are not set up the same as the US), so only companies who are not looking to make a profit would use it or maybe shops that are importing niche American products that are not made here eg a shop called Gifts from Home in Melbourne that sells things that expats miss like marmite and persil washing powder.

To illustrate this, look at the amount of sugar consumed by the USA (31.3kg per year per person) versus Australia (50.8kg) on the WHO website
http://www.whocollab.od.mah.se/expl/globalsugar.html

So to summarise, you're safe from HFCS but you probably can't take off the foil hat yet though.

Who killed Michael Jackson?

KEARNSY said...

To be honest my main concern with softdrinks is adding too much rum or grey goose

Grey Goose - now you are talking. I would never mix it with pepsi, that would be like smothering a ragu beef steak in tomato sauce.

mix it with Jim Beam

I am now starting to wonder about anything that comes in a packet, can jar or bottle.

evlPanda said...



HOLY WTF?!!! 43 grams of sugar!!!

i know, measure out 43 grams of sugar, thats fikken heaps of sugar

I don't understand this thread. Surely there is nobody around who believes that soft drinks have any dietary or nutritional value.

But if you you are going to discuss soft drinks then Coca Cola is the first and best. Who can actually admit to ordering a "bundy and Pepsi" as opposed to "bundy and Coke"

KEARNSY said...

To be honest my main concern with softdrinks is adding too much rum or grey goose

you mix grey goose with softdrinks ?


You should be shot for your sins . Never mix grey goose with anything other than a clean glass .

all i get is an image of city slickers worried about softdrinks while in peak traffic sucking up those car fumes.