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Toxic Chocolate: An Investigation of Heavy Metal Concentrations in Chocolate Products
Get PDFMany news organizations and scientific journals have recently reported high concentrations of lead and cadmium in chocolate products. The consumption of lead, cadmium, and other toxic metals can lead to numerous health impacts and impair development in children.1,2 Previous studies have specifically focused on the quantification of lead and cadmium in mainstream chocolate products, neglecting small businesses and the quantification of other heavy metals. This study addresses this disparity by analyzing the concentrations of lead, cadmium, barium, strontium, thallium, and mercury in lesser-known chocolate products from Castronovo Chocolate, Meridian Cacao Co., and Lidl. Two ICP-OES instruments and a direct mercury analyzer were used to quantify the heavy metals in the samples. Little to no lead was detected in the samples. Many samples contained mercury at ppb concentrations, which were not high enough to be immediate health risks. Cadmium was reliably detected in Castronovo’s The Lost City Honduras dark chocolate and Meridian’s Organic Cocoa Powder at average concentrations of 780 ppb and 364 ppb, respectively. Barium, strontium, and thallium were detected in many of the chocolate products, ranging from 1.97-7.71 ppm, 3.01-6.70 ppm, and 3.82-6.07 ppm, respectively. Consuming chocolate with these metal concentrations could result in psychological issues, paralysis, numbness, and other health impacts based on EPA recommendations.3-6 The high concentrations of the heavy metals in the chocolate products indicate that the metals are entering the cacao beans through polluted soil or that manufacturing processes are introducing the metals into the finished chocolate products
