Halloween is just a few days away, ushering in the holiday season and the peak season for chocolate sales.
However, recent reports and lawsuits indicate that beloved chocolate treats may be harboring dangerous heavy metals. This week, Consumer Reports released results of a new study on the amount of lead and cadmium in 48 different products.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lead exposure can damage the brain and nervous system and it is particularly dangerous for children. Cadmium is considered a cancer-causing agent. It can cause stomach problems, kidney disease and fragile bones.
“In chocolate products, the lead and cadmium are concentrated in the cocoa (or cacao), the ingredient that gives chocolate its distinctive flavor,” said Consumer Reports. “Dark chocolate tends to have higher levels of cacao. But other chocolate products contain cacao, too, in varying quantities – from cocoa powder, which is essentially pure cocoa, to milk chocolate, which can have very little.”
It explained that cocoa plants take in cadmium from the soil they are grown in. Lead, on the other hand, is deposited on the beans after they are harvested, potentially from dust and soil.
Consumer Reports’ test spanned seven different categories: cocoa powder, chocolate chips, milk chocolate bars, and mixes for brownies, chocolate cake, and hot chocolate. In addition to lead and cadmium, they tested the products for arsenic and mercury which were not present in risky amounts.
Last year, Consumer Reports tested dark chocolate bars and found lead or cadmium levels above CR’s thresholds in 82%.
“Our results this time were similar,” said Consumer Reports Wednesday. “Of the seven bars we tested, five, or 71%, were above our levels for lead, cadmium, or both.”
Two bars with the lowest amounts were Divine 70% Deliciously Smooth Dark Chocolate and Sam’s Choice (Walmart) Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa. Perugina Premium Dark Chocolate bars had the highest amounts and Evolved Signature Dark 72% Cacao Chocolate Bar was high in both lead and cadmium, while Sam’s Choice Dark Chocolate 72% Cocoa, was high in cadmium only.
“We apply strict standards to ensure our products are high quality and comply with all applicable regulatory requirements, including limits for cadmium and lead,” Nestlé, owner of Perugina, told Consumer Reports.
Although milk chocolate had lower levels of heavy metals, some products also ranked high. Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bar had the most lead, reaching 67% of CR’s limit. Feastables Mr. Beast Bar Milk Chocolate, had the most cadmium per serving at 89% of the CR limit. Lindt Classic Recipe Milk Chocolate Bar had the lowest overall levels at 11% of the daily maximum amount of lead and 13% of the daily cadmium limit.
Some chocolate chips also contained significant amounts of heavy metal.
“If you’re the type that likes to eat more than a few cookies, or a handful of chips straight out of the bag, with many of these you could exceed the daily limits for both cadmium and lead by eating just two servings,” Consumer Reports said. “Some good options for snacking that are relatively low in both heavy metals are 365 Whole Foods Market Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Chips, Kirkland Signature Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, and Nestlé Toll House Semi-Sweet Morsels.”
Chocolate chips with heavy metal levels over CR’s limit were Hu Dark Chocolate Gems and Good & Gather (Target) Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips.
While cocoa powder is in almost all cocoa solids, powders tested by Consumer Reports did not test high in heavy metals. Just two had high levels of lead: Hershey’s Cocoa Naturally Unsweetened 100% Cacao and Droste Cacao Powder. An option with lower lead amounts was Navitas Organics Organic Cacao Powder at 77% of CR’s lead limit and 17% cadmium limit.
Navitas has a third party test all finished products for heavy metals, per the company website.
As winter approaches, so do hot chocolate cravings. Unfortunately, four of the six hot chocolate mixes Consumer Reports tested exceeded its lead limit. These were: Great Value (Walmart) Milk Chocolate Flavor Hot Cocoa Mix, Trader Joe’s, Nestlé and Starbucks. There were some options with lower levels: Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate Flavor Hot Cocoa and Ghirardelli Premium Hot Cocoa Mix.
Baking fans can breathe a sigh of relief, since just one brownie mix and two cake mixes tested by Consumer Reports exceeded their limit of heavy metals. Ghirardelli Premium Brownie Mix Double Chocolate mix had 108% of CR’s lead level, Simple Mills Almond Flour Baking Mix – Chocolate Muffin & Cake had 127% and Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix had 218%.
“There’s enough variation in the lead levels within each category of foods that it’s clear factors other than cocoa content affect lead levels, and that means manufacturers have the ability to reduce the heavy metals in their products to the lowest levels possible,” said Eric Boring, a Consumer Reports chemist who oversaw the tests.
Consumer Reports urges manufacturers to search for ways to cut down on heavy metal content in chocolate. For consumers, they recommend enjoying chocolate in moderation.
“When consuming hot chocolate, brownies, chocolate cake, and other cocoa-containing products, know that they can contribute to your overall heavy metal burden,” said the report. “As with other types of chocolate, these are best consumed in moderation.”