Do 23 of 28 dark chocolate bars exceed California lead limits

For instance, a non-peer-reviewed ... that 23 of the 28 dark chocolate bars tested had measurable levels of Cd and Pb in a single serving that exceeded the daily California Proposition 65 Maximum Allowable Dose Level (MADL), the safe harbor ...

Dark chocolate can sometimes contain ... been alarmed by a 2023 Consumer Reports finding that some dark chocolate brands could contain harmful levels of lead and cadmium....

Because dark chocolate is a rich source of beneficial plant compounds called flavanols, it's often touted as a heart-healthy treat. However, many popular brands of dark chocolate contain potentially worrisome levels of lead and cadmium, according ...

For 23 of those bars, just an ounce of chocolate violates California's maximum allowable dose levels (MADL) for lead or cadmium, which are 0.5 micrograms and 4.1 micrograms per day, respectively, the publication said.

“If you’re a regular consumer of these dark chocolates, I would be concerned,” she said, especially if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding or have a child who enjoys dark chocolate, as the health effects of these metals are most concerning during early brain development. The Consumer Reports investigation was not peer-reviewed, but the levels of cadmium and lead found in the dark chocolate were similar to those reported in a more comprehensive study of cocoa and chocolate products published by researchers at the Food and Drug Administration in 2018.

They detected cadmium and lead in all of them. CR tested a mix of brands, including smaller ones, such as Alter Eco and Mast, and more familiar ones, like Dove and Ghirardelli. For 23 of the bars, eating just an ounce a day would put an adult ...

The average lead and cadmium levels in products tested exceeded a threshold based on California’s Proposition 65 maximum allowable dose level (MADL) for lead (0.5 micrograms a day) and cadmium (4.1 mcg a day).

These five dark chocolate bars had higher levels of lead and cadmium in CR's tests. ... Trader Joe’s took issue with CR’s food safety experts using California’s maximum allowable dose levels (MADL) in its analysis. The company says that these levels are meant to create an “ample margin of safety,” meaning that it takes higher levels than these to definitively cause harm. CR’s experts disagree. “Consistent consumption of a food that exceeds the MADL for lead or cadmium can compromise the safety margin,” says Tunde Akinleye, the CR food safety researcher who led the chocolate testing project.

The 2022 Consumer Reports study tested 28 dark chocolate bars for lead and cadmium. They used California’s maximum allowable dose levels for lead (0.5 mcg) and cadmium (4.1 mcg) to highlight the best and worst brands, which were as follows.