US: high levels of lead and cadmium in dark chocolate, says consumer organization

Consumer Reports (CR), an American nonprofit consumer organization, found dangerous heavy metals in chocolate from different popular brands.    

It has been demonstrated that dark chocolate has some potential health benefits, thanks to its rich supply of antioxidants, however, there’s a dark side to this “healthier” chocolate. Researchers have found that some dark chocolate bars contain cadmium and lead, heavy metals linked to a load of health problems both in children and adults.  

To determine the risk posed by the chocolates in CR’s test, the California's maximum allowable dose level (MADL) for lead (0.5 micrograms) and cadmium (4.1mcg) have been used.    

The report specifies that the results indicate which products had comparatively higher levels and are not assessments of whether a product exceeds a legal standard. CR used those levels because there are no federal limits in US for the amount of lead and cadmium most foods can contain. CR’s scientists used the California’s levels because they consider them the most protective currently available.    

CR scientists recently measured the amount of heavy metals in 28 dark chocolate bars sold in the US market. The shocking result is that they detected cadmium and lead in all of them.  

According to the results of this test, for 23 of the bars, eating just one ounce (ca. 28 gr) a day would put an adult over a level that public health authorities and CR’s experts say may be harmful for at least one of those heavy metals. Five of the bars analyzed were above those levels for both cadmium and lead.    

Pregnant women and young children are at higher risk because the metals can cause developmental problems, affect brain development, and lead to lower IQ. However, there are risks for people of any age,” CR says, as frequent exposure to lead can lead to nervous system problems, hypertension, immune system suppression, kidney damage, and reproductive issues.  

The test shows a worrying picture, however, not all the chocolate bars tested had concerning levels of lead and cadmium, in fact, five of them were relatively low in both.“That shows it’s possible for companies to make products with lower amounts of heavy metals—and for consumers to find safer products that they enjoy,” CR says.        

 

Source:  

https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/lead-and-cadmium-in-dark-chocolate-a8480295550/