Heavy metals may be in your dark chocolate

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A Consumer Reports investigation found potentially concerning levels of lead and cadmium in a number of popular dark chocolate products, including bars from Hershey’s, Theo, Trader Joe’s. Because cacao can absorb cadmium from soil and may be exposed to lead during harvesting and processing, dark chocolate can contain more of these heavy metals than many consumers realize. The report compared products across brands, identifying those with the highest levels as well as options that tested lower and may be better choices for people who eat dark chocolate regularly.

Source

Hands JM, Anderson ML, Cooperman T, Balsky JE, Frame LA. A multi-year heavy metal analysis of 72 dark chocolate and cocoa products in the USA. Front Nutr. 2024 Jul 31;11:1366231. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1366231. PMID: 39144282; PMCID: PMC11321977.

Additional Reading

https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/lead-and-cadmium-in-dark-chocolate-a8480295550/

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/31/dark-chocolate-lead-cadmium

https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/31/health/cacao-dark-chocolate-lead-heavy-metals-wellness