Is there lead or cadmium in your chocolate? How are you going to avoid it?

February 20, 2023

Recently, we saw a consumer investigation report of dark chocolate where it was found that 23 out of 28 dark chocolates from different brands contained an excess level of lead and cadmium.

Lead and Cadmium are heavy metals. They are found in nature but they are not good for you. According to the New York Times, the US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry advises a minimum risk level of around six micrograms of cadmium per day for a 130-pound individual, and 21 micrograms per day for the same person under European safety guidelines.

According to the 2018 FDA report, a single ounce of dark chocolate contains around 7.6 micrograms of cadmium. According to the CDC, the United States does not have a minimal risk level for lead because no safe blood lead level in children has been determined. According to a 2019 study by Dr. Melissa Melough, an assistant professor of nutrition at the University of Delaware, the average American already consumes roughly five micrograms of cadmium per day.

Effects of lead and cadmium on your body

Long exposure to cadmium in your body causes cancer, and kidney damage, and weakens your bones. Lead affects the nervous system, kidneys, digestive system, and respiratory system. Because they accumulate, it’s critical to understand where you’re receiving them from and how much you’re consuming. You can’t totally eliminate them, therefore knowing which foods contain high quantities is essential.

How lead and cadmium get into the chocolate:

Consumer Reports researchers discovered that lead entered the cacao after harvest, primarily on the outer shell of the cocoa bean. Cacao plants absorb the metal from the soil, which accumulates in the cacao beans as the tree ages.

Various soils in various geographical regions have been found to have varying quantities of these metals. According to a 2018 FDA investigation, greater quantities of cadmium were identified in Latin American chocolate than in African chocolate. As this research from Clima-LoCa points out, there is a lot of variance in Latin American chocolate output, with higher quantities originating from hotspots. Hence, while not all Latin American chocolate will necessarily have higher levels than African chocolate, it is still worth mentioning.

Both the Consumer Reports research and the 2018 FDA study highlight that milk chocolate contains fewer heavy metals since it contains less cacao. While there is no legal cutoff between dark chocolate and milk chocolate, dark chocolates are commonly regarded to begin around 65% cacao, according to Dr. Michael J. DiBartolomeis, a toxicologist who has examined heavy metals in chocolate.

How to avoid dark chocolate

  • Consume chocolate with low levels of heavy metals.
  • Treat them as a treat.
  • Eat dark chocolate with a lower cacao percentage.
  • Milk chocolate contains less cacao, which means it contains less lead and cadmium.
  • Pregnant or lactating women should limit their consumption of dark chocolate to once or twice a week because heavy metals provide a larger risk of injury during the early phases of human development.
  • The safest choices are Mast, Taza chocolate, Ghirardelli, and Valrhona. Avoid consuming Trader Joe’s, Theo, Lily’s, and Green & Backs as they have a high amount of lead and cadmium.
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