Consumer Reports revealed on Wednesday that they discovered “worrying” levels of lead and cadmium in a range of chocolate products. They’re calling on Hershey to reduce the amounts of these heavy metals in their chocolate.
In their study, they tested 48 chocolate products from various brands in various categories, like dark chocolate, milk chocolate, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and mixes for brownies, chocolate cake, and hot chocolate. Shockingly, 16 of these products had levels of lead, cadmium, or both that could be harmful.
Every single one of the 48 products contained at least trace amounts of these metals. Interestingly, only milk chocolate bars, which have less cocoa solids, didn’t go over the recommended limits for these metals.
Consumer Reports has warned that prolonged exposure to these metals could lead to problems with the nervous system, weaken the immune system, and harm the kidneys, with pregnant women and young children being particularly at risk.
A few of the items identified with elevated levels of these metals consisted of a dark chocolate bar and hot chocolate blend from Walmart, cocoa powder from Hershey’s and Droste, semi-sweet chocolate chips from Target, as well as hot chocolate mixes from Trader Joe’s, Nestle, and Starbucks.
After their previous research in December, Consumer Reports is back with more findings. They discovered that 23 out of 28 tested dark chocolate bars had too much lead or cadmium, and this included Hershey products sold under its own brand, as well as Lily’s and Scharffen Berger brands.
Once again, the magazine is asking Hershey to lower the amount of heavy metals in its chocolate. In a previous attempt, more than 75,000 consumers signed a petition.
Brian Ronholm, the food policy director at Consumer Reports, mentioned that Hershey, being a well-known and popular brand, should take the initiative to remove these “harmful levels” of heavy metals from its chocolate products, ensuring they are safer for consumers.
Back in March, the Chief Financial Officer of Hershey, Steve Voskuil, mentioned that they were actively working to lower the levels of lead and cadmium in their products. He referred to cadmium as a “naturally occurring” element that could vary depending on the source of their chocolate.
Voskuil expressed their desire to completely eliminate it, saying, “We would love to eradicate it completely.”
Upon being requested for a statement, Hershey forwarded the inquiry to the National Confectioners Association. Christopher Gindlesperger, a representative of this industry association, provided assurance by stating, “Chocolate and cocoa are both safe for consumption and have been cherished as indulgent treats for centuries.”
