[ Consumer Reports identified five chocolate brands containing
heavy metals — specifically cadmium and lead — but the research
also revealed safer dark chocolate options.]
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PORTSIDE CULTURE

A CONSUMER REPORTS STUDY FOUND YOUR DARK CHOCOLATE MAY CONTAIN HIGH
LEVELS OF LEAD  
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Erika Owen
February 2, 2023
Food & Wine
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_ Consumer Reports identified five chocolate brands containing heavy
metals — specifically cadmium and lead — but the research also
revealed safer dark chocolate options. _

Consumer Reports tested 28 chocolate brands to see if any of the bars
contained dangerous amounts of cadmium and lead, Shutterstock

 

Bad news, chocolate fans. Turns out there could be a dangerous
ingredient lurking in your post-dinner bite of dark chocolate. And
while we live in a world where you have to assume some ambiguity when
it comes to ingredient lists in processed foods, you’re going to
want to take note of this one.

Consumer Reports tested 28 chocolate brands to see if any of the bars
contained dangerous amounts of cadmium and lead, two heavy metals that
could impact a person’s health if consumed. By looking into the
products from brands like Dove and Hershey’s, the site was able to
identify five chocolate companies in particular that introduce enough
of these heavy metals — specifically cadmium and lead — if one
ounce of the chocolate is eaten even day. On the other end of the
spectrum, the research also revealed safer dark chocolate options.

To determine the level of risk, Consumer Reports followed
California’s maximum allowable dose for cadmium (4.1mcg) and lead
(0.5 micrograms). And while the results do show which brands have a
higher concentration of these elements, they do not speak to whether
or not they exceed legal limits. It’s also worth mentioning that
there is no federal limit on how much cadmium or lead food can
contain.

The products with the most lead present were Hershey's Special Dark
Mildly Sweet Chocolate, Chocolove Extreme Dark Chocolate 88% Cocoa, Hu
Organic Simple Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao, and Trader Joe's Dark
Chocolate 72% Cacao.

On the flip side, some of the safest chocolates tested included Mast
Organic Dark Chocolate 80% Cocoa, Taza Chocolate Organic Deliciously
Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao, Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate 86%
Cacao, and Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate Twilight Delight 72%
Cacao.

In addition, 23 of the bars tested would put an adult over the level
public health authorities consider safe for heavy metal consumption,
according to the report. But the real question is: How did these heavy
metals get into the chocolate? In a conversation with public radio
station WBUR, director of food and safety research at Consumer Reports
James Rogers shared some insight: “With cadmium, the research has
shown that if you have soil where you grow the chocolate plants in
that has cadmium in it, the roots will actually draw out the cadmium
and it will end up in the cocoa seeds,” he says. “And then when
you process those cocoa pods into chocolate, the cadmium comes along
for the ride.”

      When it comes to lead, the situation is similar. “When
the chocolate beans, the cocoa beans, are being processed, one of the
steps is for them to be dried, usually out in the open,” Rogers
says. “And if you are processing these beans close to an industrial
site—a place that is manufacturing lead batteries, for
instance—the soil can become contaminated. And then as you're drying
these cocoa pods, they actually have dust that blows over from the
industrial site and settles onto the seeds.” (You can read more of
Rogers’ insight and the full interview over on the WBUR website.)

Both of these heavy metals can impact child development, specifically
contributing to neurological dysfunctions and some studies even link
heavy metal consumption to cancer. With this in mind, Consumer Reports
recommends that parents remove dark chocolate from their children’s
diets — and the same goes for pregnant people. You can read the full
study and its findings on the Consumer Report website.

* chocolate
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