Dangerous Amounts Of Lead And Cadmium Found In Several Chocolate Products
If you love chocolate, you’re not going to be happy about this. Consumer Reports says they have found concerning levels of heavy metals in several popular chocolate products. With National Chocolate Day (10/28) and Halloween (10/31) just days away, this news couldn’t come at a worse time.
Consumer Reports tested multiple chocolate products and discovered worrying amounts of lead or cadmium in many of them. According to CBS News, the magazine is calling out Hershey Co., America’s largest maker of chocolate, to reduce the level of toxic metals in its chocolate. While other chocolate makers have lowered their levels, Hershey products continue to have, at times, dangerous amounts.
Out of 48 chocolate products tested by Consumer Reports, one-third of them contained “dangerous” levels of heavy metals. Those 16 products included cocoa powder from Hershey’s, semi-sweet chocolate chips from Target, a dark chocolate bar and hot chocolate mix from Walmart, as well as hot chocolate mixes from Nestlé, Trader Joe’s, and Starbucks.
In a statement, the National Confectioners Association pushed back saying “Chocolate and cocoa are safe to eat and can be enjoyed as treats as they have been for centuries. Food safety and product quality remain our highest priorities and we remain dedicated to being transparent and socially responsible.”
The news isn’t all bad. Milk chocolate bars, which have fewer cocoa solids, were found not to contain excessive metal content. I’m somewhat surprised by all of this. Haven’t we been told for years that dark chocolate was the healthier choice? You can see results from the full list of products that Consumer Reports tested HERE.