. I am guessing it to be a market strategy (aka scam) but I do not want members to get sick either. Before I started selling this I asked the manufacturer if it was for sure 99.9% copper mesh. They stated, "yes". After receiving the message about it being copper coated I did a little testing of my own. 1) magnet test: results were non magnetic. 2) water heat transfer results were closer to copper than steel but Im not a rocket scientist so who knows if I did it exactly right with all the variables 3)flame test: result was yellow flame not green but I only had a butane torch not a bunsen burner 4) corrosion test: results were that after heating to red hot I put a drop of very diluted muratic acid on the metal, after 24 hrs the plate had green corrosion on it, it was not red like rust. Seems good to me what about you guys? If someone works in a lab I would be more than happy to mail a sample to be tested 
This is the email I got from the manufacturer:
April 23, 2012
Pursuant to your inquiry I am writing to confirm that various “Trace elements” are present in the 99.99% pure copper rod used in the production of your product. These “trace” elements are locked within the copper metal matrix and are a result of these elements being present within the ore from which copper metal is extracted. These trace elements are not removable through the current ore smelting and subsequent refining processes.
These materials are not used in the production of or ancillary support systems for the
manufacture of copper magnet wire, with the single exception of oxygen, which is maintained between 200 & 450 parts per million as is necessary for the successful drawing of magnet wire. The acceptable lever of trace elements is regulated by ASTM and I have listed these acceptable levels below. All of our copper products meet or exceed this standard.
ASTM Acceptable Chemical Limits for ETP Rod
Se <3 Te <2 Ni <10 Fe <10 As <5 Sb <4 Sn <2 Bi <1 Pb <5 Mn <0.5 Zn <1 Cd <1 Ag <25 S <15 O 100-650
Better safe than sorry. 
Right now I got to figure out how to get this dingdongs review off my sales board. Hopefully someone will leave a review that contradicts his if I cannot remove it.