Is There Lead in Your Chocolate?

Chocolate, especially dark chocolate has been praised in the news for its antioxidants, but beware of the potential toxins in chocolate.

High-quality dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants and low in sugar, but a California-based consumer advocacy group, called As You Sow, has recently detected lead in many chocolate brands.

They tested fifty cocoa products. More than half contained the dangerous metals lead and cadmium. The levels detected were above California’s state limits.

The manufacturers contend that the lead is found only in trace amounts and that it comes from naturally occurring sources.

Thirty-five of the fifty chocolate brands that were tested, were found to contain lead and/or cadmium that exceeded California’s standards.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that children should not consume more than 6 micrograms of lead a day from candy. No levels are currently set by the FDA for cadmium in food.

California’s limit is stricter and limits lead exposure to 5 micrograms a day from all sources. The limit applies to everyone, not just children, as is the case with the FDA’s 6-microgram limit.

As You Sow has now released exactly how much lead was detected in the chocolate samples that they tested. Some of the samples contained up to nine and seven times the daily amount that California considers safe for lead and cadmium, respectively.

California's Proposition 65 requires consumer products with potential reproductive toxins or cancer-causing ingredients to bear warning labels. The labels do not apply to foods that contain low levels of naturally occurring toxins, but As You Sow believes consumers still deserve warning about lead and cadmium in chocolate.

Where Does the Lead & Cadmium in Chocolate Come From?

The origin of the lead and cadmium in the chocolate samples is unclear. Some of the manufacturers stated the metals were the result of naturally occurring elements in the soil that were absorbed by the cocoa plants, which have an affinity to absorb these toxins.

Some research suggests processed chocolate products may have higher lead levels than the harvested cocoa beans, which suggests the lead contamination may be coming from another source.

Until all of the data is released in reference to which are the safest brands of chocolate to eat, due to the potential for lead and cadmium contamination, it is probably wise to keep consumption of chocolate low, especially in children.

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