Dark chocolate products can contain high levels of lead and cadmium.
Notes on verification
Confirmed by Consumer Reports testing, corroborated independently by Harvard Health, NPR, CBC, and a peer-reviewed study (Hands et al. 2024) using separate data. Health-risk significance is debated (Tulane study), but presence of heavy metals is well-established.
Sources
- Cocoa - Uses, Side Effects, and More - WebMD (webmd.com)
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/heavy-metals-found-in-popular-brands-of-dark-chocolate (health.harvard.edu)
- https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/lead-and-cadmium-in-dark-chocolate-a8480295550/ (consumerreports.org)
- https://www.npr.org/2022/12/17/1143239430/dark-chocolate-lead-cadmium-consumer-reports (npr.org)
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11321977/ (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- https://amp.cbc.ca/lite/story/1.6744120 (amp.cbc.ca)