Credit: C. KREBS/CORBIS

J. Agric. Food Chem. 57, 7369–7376 (2009)

Dangerous levels of toxins that can form in high-fructose corn syrup and endanger domesticated honeybees can now be easily predicted and eliminated.

Blaise LeBlanc, while at the US Department of Agriculture in Tucson, Arizona, and his colleagues measured the rate of formation of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), a heat-generated contaminant found in high-fructose corn syrup, honey and other foods. Over a 35-day period, they tracked HMF content in several brands of syrup stored at different temperatures. They also established the concentration at which HMF becomes toxic to caged bees.

Although temperatures of around 32 °C had little effect, those of 40 °C and above caused the HMF content to rise markedly. The rate of the increase can be precisely predicted from pH and other variables, the scientists say. HMF formation was lower in syrups of higher pH, and adding bases to syrup reduced levels of the toxin.