Consumer Reports just tested 28 dark chocolate bars, and found that 23 of them had high levels of heavy metals like lead and cadmium!
Consumer Reports : Lead + Cadmium High In Many Dark Chocolate!
Dark chocolate has always been considered as a healthier alternative to milk chocolate, and other sweet treats; because they are lower in sugar and have more antioxidants. Unfortunately, dark chocolate is made with more cocoa solids, which is where the heavy metals like lead and cadmium reside.
Long-term exposure to lead and cadmium is bad for health, particularly for pregnant women and young children, because these heavy metals can affect brain development.
Consumer Report scientists tested 28 dark chocolate bars for lead and cadmium, and compared them to California’s maximum allowable dose level (MADL):
- Lead : 0.5 micrograms
- Cadmium : 4.2 micrograms
Out of the 28 dark chocolate bars they tested, only five were found to have lead and cadmium levels below the California MADL limit.
Eight chocolate bars were found to have overly high cadmium levels, while ten had overly high lead levels. The last five were the worst – with high lead and cadmium levels.
Levels Of Lead + Cadmium In 28 Dark Chocolate Bars
In the follow tables, the dark chocolate bars are listed in the order of lead level, because that heavy metal poses the greater health risk – no amount is considered safe.
Safer Choices
Brand | Name | Lead (MADL %) |
Cadmium (MADL %) |
Mast | Organic Dark Chocolate 80% Cocoa |
14% | 40% |
Taza Chocolate |
Organic Deliciously Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa |
33% | 74% |
Ghirardelli | Intense Dark Chocolate 86% Cocoa |
36% | 39% |
Ghirardelli | Intense Dark Chocolate Twilight Delight 72% Cocoa |
61% | 96% |
Valrhona | Abinao Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa |
63% | 73% |
High In Cadmium
Brand | Name | Lead (MADL %) |
Cadmium (MADL %) |
Beyond Good | Organic Pure Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa |
42% | 112% |
Beyond Good | Organic Pure Dark Chocolate 80% Cocoa |
42% | 138% |
Equal Exchange | Organic Extra Dark Chocolate 80% Cocoa |
45% | 120% |
Lindt | Excellence Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa |
48% | 116% |
Scharffen Berger |
Extra Dark Chocolate 82% Cocoa |
49% | 136% |
Alter Eco | Organic Dark Chocolate Classic Blackout 85% Cocoa |
49% | 204% |
Pascha | Organic Very Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa |
68% | 253% |
Dove | Promises Deeper Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa |
74% | 112% |
High In Lead
Brand | Name | Lead (MADL %) |
Cadmium (MADL %) |
Tony’s | Chocolonely Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa |
134% | 28% |
Lily’s | Extra Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa |
144% | 42% |
Godiva | Signature Dark Chocolate 72% Cocoa |
146% | 25% |
Chocolove | Strong Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa |
152% | 60% |
Lindt | Excellence Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa |
166% | 80% |
Endangered Species |
Bold + Silky Dark Chocolate 72% Cocoa |
181% | 31% |
Trader Joe’s | Dark Chocolate 72% Cocoa |
192% | 36% |
Hu | Organic Simple Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa |
210% | 56% |
Chocolove | Extreme Dark Chocolate 88% Cocoa |
240% | 83% |
Hershey’s | Special Dark Mildly Sweet Chocolate |
265% | 30% |
High In Lead + Cadmium
Brand | Name | Lead (MADL %) |
Cadmium (MADL %) |
Theo | Organic Pure Dark 70% Cocoa |
120% | 142% |
Trader Joe’s | The Dark Chocolate Lover’s Chocolate 85% Cocoa |
127% | 229% |
Theo | Organic Extra Pure Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa |
140% | 189% |
Lily’s | Extremely Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa |
143% | 101% |
Green & Black’s |
Organic Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa |
143% | 181% |
How To Safely Consume Dark Chocolate
Even though the results are shocking, I should point out that the California MADL levels are considered particularly stringent, and occasional consumption of these chocolates are unlikely to lead to immediate harm.
These heavy metals are also present in many nutritious foods like carrots, sweet potatoes and spinach, and no one is going to tell you to stop eating them.
Ideally, try to select dark chocolate with low levels of lead and cadmium. But if there’s no way to find out, you should be consumed them only occasionally.
You can also select dark chocolate with lower percentages of cocoa, or switch to milk chocolate which has lower cocoa content.
Do note that organic dark chocolate are not safer than regular dark chocolate. They are just as likely to have high levels of heavy metals as regular dark chocolate.
If possible, pregnant women should limit their consumption of dark chocolate, and it’s best to reduce or limit the amount of dark chocolate given to children.
Finally, milk chocolate and cocoa products, including Milo, chocolate desserts and cakes, all have cocoa content. Reducing their consumption will help to reduce your consumption of heavy metals.
Please Support My Work!
Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Recommended Reading
- David Jenkins Died From SADS, Not Vaccine!
- Was Celine Dion Disabled By Vaccine Side Effect?!
- Did Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha Collapse From Vaccine?!
- Fact Check : King of Bahrain Has A Robot Bodyguard?!
- Grant Wahl : His Wife Reveals True Cause Of Death!
Go Back To > Business | Health | Tech ARP
Support Tech ARP!
Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!