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Renee Dufault

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American research scientist and whistleblower
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Renee Dufault
self-portrait, 2025
EducationA.T. Still University (D.H.Ed.), University of Maryland (M.A.), University of California, Davis (B.S.)
OccupationPublic Health Service Officer
Employer(s)FDA, EPA, NIH
Known forWhistleblower;
Macroepigenetics

Renee Dufault is an American research scientist and whistleblower. She is a former Food and Drug Administration researcher and the founder of the Food Ingredient and Health Research Institute.[1] She published a study about mercury in high fructose corn syrup.[2][3][4]

Education

Dufault earned her Doctorate of Health Education (D.H.Ed.) degree from A.T. Still University in Missouri, and a B.S. in the Environmental Sciences from the University of California Davis (UCD).

Career

Dufault served in the Army and Navy before transferring to the United States Public Health Service.[5]

During her federal career, Dufault worked for the National Institutes of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency, Shoshone-Paiute Tribes and the Food and Drug Administration.[1][6]

In 2004, Dufault began researching the mercury cycle on behalf of the FDA, which involved, analyzing a number of food products listing HFCS as either the first or second ingredient on the label.[2]

Dufault learned mercury cell caustic soda was used to manufacture lye, which was used to separate corn starch from corn kernels during the production of high-fructose corn syrup.[2][7] Dufault enlisted the help of several colleagues to test whether high fructose corn syrup or products containing high fructose corn syrup contained trace amounts of mercury.[2]

While her research team initially tested only 20 samples, 45% of the samples contained trace amounts of mercury.[4][8][9] Dufault then sent additional virgin samples of HFCS to two different laboratories, in order to independently confirm her results.[2] Acting as third parties, the federal and academic laboratories tested and independently verified the presence of low levels of mercury in the HFCS samples and foods containing HFCS.[2][10]

In October 2005, Dufault, and her extramural academic colleagues presented their preliminary findings to the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN).[11] At that time, Dufault was asked to halt the investigation.[11][12] In 2006, Dufault attempted to publish the findings of her research on mercury levels contained within HFCS, but was denied the usage of the federal extramural data.[11]

She quit her position in 2008, citing her intention to make her research public, and a belief that the FDA no longer supported her work.[11][10] Dufault and her collaborators published their findings of mercury in HFCS in 2009.[13][3][4]

Dufault developed and published a scientific model to explain the side effects of HFCS consumption called "macroepigenetics".[14] This model describes the dietary factors that impact gene behavior in the human body to bring about conditions of autism or ADHD.[15][16][17]

Dufault also developed a nutritional epigenetics model for autism in 2009 concerning the impact of dietary mercury (Hg) exposure on the metallothionein (MT) gene when children zinc (Zn) deficient.[18] The model was used in a pilot study in 2024.[19]

After leaving the FDA in 2008, Dufault founded the Food Ingredient and Health Research Institute, a non-profit that advocates for food ingredient safety, better food, and nutrition education and research.[1]

In 2017, Dufault published the book Unsafe at Any Meal: What the FDA Does Not Want You to Know About the Foods You Eat.[20]

Bibliography

  • Dufault, R. J. (2017). Unsafe at Any Meal: What the FDA Does Not Want You to Know About the Foods You Eat. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9780757004360.
  • Dufault, R.J. (2023). Nutritional Epigenetics: Unsafe At Any Meal Study Guide. ISBN 9798392540976.

Select publications

References

  1. ^ a b c "ATSU News | Don't sugarcoat it". www.atsu.edu. A.T. Still University. Archived from the original on 2025-06-02. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Wenner, Melinda (July–August 2009). "Corn syrup's mercury surprise". Mother Jones. Archived from the original on 2024-11-07. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
  3. ^ a b "US researchers find traces of toxic mercury in high-fructose corn syrup". The Guardian. 2009-01-27. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
  4. ^ a b c "Studies find mercury in much U.S. corn syrup". NBC News. 2009-01-28. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
  5. ^ Lee, Suevon (2018-08-31). "Hawaii Turns To Military In Search For More Teachers". Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
  6. ^ Diane E. Austin, ed. (September 1998). Native Americans Respond to the Transportation of Low Level Waste: A DOE Technical Report (Report). Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology, University of Arizona. hdl:10150/273029. OSTI 1986336.
  7. ^ "High Fructose Corn Syrup a Newfound Source of Mercury – Informed Opinion - Natural Health Research". naturalhealthresearch.org. 2009-02-11. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
  8. ^ Hemmelgarn, Melinda. "Is mercury lurking in high-fructose corn syrup?". Columbia Daily Tribune. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
  9. ^ "Mercury in Your Favorite Snacks? - National Center for Health Research". 2010-03-23. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
  10. ^ a b "High Fructose Corn Syrup Meets Its Match". The Washington Post (Mighty Appetite blog, archived). January 2009. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  11. ^ a b c d "Dr. Renee J. Dufault | Food Integrity Campaign". Food Integrity Campaign. 2014-07-09. Archived from the original on 2025-11-08. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
  12. ^ "Mercury Found in High Fructose Corn Syrup | Alliance for Natural Health USA - Protecting Natural Health". anh-usa.org. 2016-08-30. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
  13. ^ Dufault, Renee; LeBlanc, Blaise; Schnoll, Roseanne; Cornett, Charles; Schweitzer, Laura; Wallinga, David; Hightower, Jane; Patrick, Lyn; Lukiw, Walter J (2009). "Mercury from chlor-alkali plants: measured concentrations in food product sugar". Environmental Health. 8 (1) 2. Bibcode:2009EnvHe...8....2D. doi:10.1186/1476-069X-8-2. ISSN 1476-069X. PMC 2637263. PMID 19171026.
  14. ^ Rojas-Jahn, Katie (2012-04-11). "Study Links Autism with Industrial Food, Environment". Civil Eats. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
  15. ^ "High Fructose Corn Syrup Meets Its Match". www.iatp.org. Archived from the original on 2025-03-30. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
  16. ^ "What to know about mercury in high-fructose corn syrup". Medical News Today (archived). Healthline Media. 2013-02-22. Archived from the original on 28 June 2023. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
  17. ^ Dufault, Renee; Lukiw, Walter J; Crider, Raquel; Schnoll, Roseanne; Wallinga, David; Deth, Richard (2012). "A macroepigenetic approach to identify factors responsible for the autism epidemic in the United States". Clinical Epigenetics. 4 (1) 6. doi:10.1186/1868-7083-4-6. ISSN 1868-7075. PMC 3378453. PMID 22490277.
  18. ^ Dufault, R.; Schnoll, R.; Lukiw, W. J.; Leblanc, B.; Cornett, C.; Patrick, L.; Wallinga, D.; Gilbert, S. G.; Crider, R. (2009). "Mercury exposure, nutritional deficiencies and metabolic disruptions may affect learning in children". Behavioral and Brain Functions. 5: 44. doi:10.1186/1744-9081-5-44. PMC 2773803. PMID 19860886.
  19. ^ Dufault, Renee J.; Adler, Katherine M.; Carpenter, David O.; Gilbert, Steven G.; Crider, Raquel A. (2024-01-19). "Nutritional epigenetics education improves diet and attitude of parents of children with autism or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder". World Journal of Psychiatry. 14 (1): 159–178. doi:10.5498/wjp.v14.i1.159. ISSN 2220-3206. PMC 10845225. PMID 38327893.
  20. ^ "Unsafe at Any Meal: What the FDA Does Not Want You to Know About the Foods You Eat (review/entry)". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
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