Lead and Cadmium Beyond The Legal Limits
We have all stuffed our faces with this delightful substance for years. Now we find out that extensive testing shows that a lot of chocolate brands contain amounts of cadmium and lead which are beyond the legal limits for a food. Considering how young children can consume a lot of chocolate, these heavy metals can pose a considerable health risk.
If you have a sweet tooth, you may have read studies talking about the health benefits associated with eating moderate amounts of chocolate. But our research has found a potential health risk in popular chocolate products that’s been flying under the radar – many chocolates contain toxic metals like lead and cadmium.
As You Sow has conducted independent laboratory testing of over 120 chocolate products for lead and cadmium. We found that 96 of the 127 chocolate products contain lead and/or cadmium above the safe harbor threshold of California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65). Based on these results, we have filed notices with over 20 companies, including Trader Joe’s, Hershey’s, Mondelēz, Lindt, Whole Foods, Kroger, Godiva, See’s Candies, Mars, Theo Chocolate, Equal Exchange, Ghirardelli, and Chocolove, for failing to provide the legally required warning to consumers that their chocolate products contain cadmium or lead, or both.
No level of lead is safe for children. Lead exposure has been a significant public health issue for decades. Lead is linked to a variety of neurological impairments, including learning disabilities, seizures, and a lower IQ. Developing fetuses and children are especially vulnerable to lead exposure because their brains are in critical growth and development stages.
Cadmium is also known to cause reproductive harm. Cadmium can cause damage to the kidney, liver, and bones, while also impairing neurobehavioral development. Children are more susceptible than adults to exposure from low doses of cadmium over time.
Here is a link to a list of problem chocolates. Also included in the list are numerous chocolates that passed the tests add are safe. The list
The List
For more great information on this topic, check out the source article.
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