Many Dark Chocolate Products Contain Heavy Metals, Study Finds.

 

The results showed the presence of lead and cadmium, with one type of chocolate “significantly more likely” to have higher levels of the heavy metals.

After eight years of testing dark chocolate, a new study reveals many products were

contaminated with lead and cadmium — two heavy metals toxic to human health.

Organic chocolates were “significantly more likely” to have higher levels of both heavy metals than conventional options, researchers at George Washington University and ConsumerLab.com reported Wednesday in Frontiers in Nutrition.

The authors wanted to test chocolate in a similar way supplements are checked for contaminants, says Leigh Frame,

“A lot of people are starting to think about chocolate kind of like a supplement — like, ‘Oh, I’m getting my daily dose of chocolate because of all the health benefits that have been reported,

What the study found:

From 2014 to 2022, researchers bought 72 popular cocoa products — predominantly pure dark chocolate bars, but also cocoa powder — from Amazon.com, Whole Foods, GNC and other retailers in the U.S. The study doesn’t list any brand names, but notes the products were made in the U.S. or Europe.

The chocolates were then analyzed by two independent U.S. labs. Based on strict standards set by a California law known as Prop 65, the results showed:

·         43% of the products studied exceeded the maximum allowable dose level for lead.

·         35% were above the maximum allowable dose level for cadmium.

The California standards were used because the U.S. Food and Drug The California standards were used because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn’t set limits on heavy metals in most foods, Frame says.

Still, the heavy metal contamination in most of the products may not pose a risk for the average person, the study notes. Most of the results were “not that concerning,” particularly if someone limits their intake to a 1-ounce serving, Frame says.

“People should not be scared of chocolate,” she adds.

Chocolate and cocoa are safe to eat, an FDA spokesperson tells TODAY.com in a statement, adding that experts worldwide have found chocolate to be a minor source of exposure to contaminants like cadmium and lead.

Why does dark chocolate have heavy metals?

Lead and cadmium are considered environmental contaminants. They can show up in food because they’re in the soil, water or air where foods are grown or processed, the FDA explains.

“Any plant that grows in soil that has heavy metals in it can be contaminated,” Frame says. “Cocoa is one of those plants that we know that is quite good at absorbing heavy metals, so it’s definitely a concern.”

After the cocoa beans are harvested, they’re dried, which is another opportunity for heavy metals to get in if there’s contamination in the air. Dark chocolate is more contaminated than milk chocolate because it has a higher cocoa content.

How to reduce heavy metals in chocolate

As You Sow, a nonprofit organization that promotes environmental and social corporate responsibility, offered several solutions in a 2022 report.

It suggested farmers should stop planting new orchards in regions with high cadmium, while exporters should stop purchasing cocoa beans from those areas.

It also recommended increasing soil pH, and preventing lead contamination of beans during fermenting and drying.

-Today