Many beloved chocolate companies are being questioned for containing dangerous amounts of metals, as revealed by Tunde Akinleye in a study by the nonprofit organization Consumer Reports.
Consumer Reports tested 28 chocolate bars, including popular companies like Trader Joe’s, Lindt and Dove, and found that every single one contained cadmium and lead, with 23 of them containing concerning amounts of those metals.
McKenzie Cloward, a Trader Joe’s regular, was surprised at the outcomes of this study.
“It would definitely deter me from buying it, a little bit, just until things are kind of figured out more and more information is sent out about what’s going on,” Cloward said.
Dark chocolate is considered a healthy treat for its nutritional value.
According to the Food and Drug Administration, dark chocolate has, on average, 7.6 micrograms of cadmium and 0.8 micrograms of lead per one-ounce serving, which is risky, especially for pregnant people and young children.
These metals can cause developmental problems, affect brain development and lead to a lower IQ, according to Akinleye. Frequent exposure in adults can lead to nervous system problems, hypertension, immune system suppression, kidney damage and reproductive issues, according to the New York City health department.
These are valid concerns, even for those who do not consume large amounts of dark chocolate every day.
Trader Joe’s customer Brock Ellison is disturbed by these findings, especially after consuming mass amounts himself.
“My friend gave me a pound of dark chocolate from Trader Joe’s. It was just a gift from him to me and I pounded that in like a day or two, didn’t feel too good afterwards, especially after I found out that there might be lead in it,” Ellison said.
And once he did find out, he was not happy.
“That was kind of concerning to find that out,” Ellison said.
