Chocolate, lead and cadmium – not what you want to hear.
While we posted about this back in May 2023 (https://leadsafeworld.com/chocolate-fb0523), more information is coming to the fore about contaminants in chocolate.
It seems that despite the many health benefits of dark chocolate, in the case of lead, milk chocolate wins.
The reason?
Milk chocolate contains less cocoa solids (cocoa butter, cocoa liquor, cocoa, and so on).
An investigation by Consumer Reports (US) found that the levels of cadmium and lead found in dark chocolate were similar to those reported in a more comprehensive study by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2018.
They found that “23 of 28 tested dark chocolate bars contained excessive lead or cadmium, including Hershey products sold under its own brand and the Lily’s and Scharffen Berger brands” (https://leadsafeworld.com/Stempel).
Further:
The F.D.A. study found that dark chocolate had, on average, 7.6 micrograms of cadmium and 0.8 micrograms of lead per one-ounce serving [28.4 g], and some products had three or four times as much. (Milk chocolate, which contains less cocoa, had much lower concentrations.)
Compared with more than 300 other foods tested by the F.D.A. in a separate study, dark chocolate had the third-highest concentrations of both cadmium and lead, exceeded only by baking powder and cocoa powder for lead, and cocoa powder and sunflower seeds for cadmium. (https://leadsafeworld.com/Callahan)
While the Consumer Reports investigation was not peer-reviewed, it’s a good reminder to be mindful of the food we consume and the potential risks associated with heavy metal exposure.
Grandma Lead has told us many times that there is no safe level of lead exposure.
If you’re a chocolate lover (like us!) then don’t despair – just keep things in moderation.
Take stock of your chocolate intake (chocolate, bars, drinking chocolate, and so on) and limit your consumption.
How much is okay?
If you’re a dark chocolate lover, ensure that you eat less than 1oz (28.4g) per day.
What else can you do?
Lobby your MP to take action on this!
The investigation and reports referred to here are all US-based.
So, if you are in Australia, you could contact Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) which is part of the Australian Government’s Health portfolio. Here is the contact page on their website: https://leadsafeworld.com/FSANZ
#chocolate #leadinchocolate #darkchocolate #cadmiuminchocolate