Reaching for a piece of dark chocolate is supposed to be a great way to have a quick treat, but a new study reveals unwanted additives may be in your dessert.
What's happening?
A multiyear study published in Frontiers tested 72 different dark chocolate bars, powders, and nibs and found that many of them contained higher levels of heavy metals than permitted by California's Proposition 65, one of the toughest regulations in the country.
The research did not specify brand names, but 43% had higher levels of lead than allowed, while 35% had higher readings of cadmium. It also found that organic products were more likely to have higher amounts of these, and fair-trade products weren't any better.
The New York Times noted that the concentrations were still less than the Food and Drug Administration allows, so there's no need to panic and toss all your dark chocolate in the trash.
"It would be tragic for me if anybody stopped consuming dark chocolate on the basis of this," Jacob Hands, lead author of the study, said.
Melissa Melough, an assistant professor of nutrition at the University of Delaware, told the outlet: "I wouldn't be worried about someone who goes on a little bit of a dark chocolate craze and for a couple of weeks they're adding dark chocolate to their shopping cart and eating it every night. But if it's truly a core part of your routine or you eat it in larger quantities, that's what I'd worry about."
Why are heavy metals in food important?
Heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and arsenic can have negative impacts on human health over time. High levels of exposure to lead can impact cardiovascular and kidney health, with children and pregnant women particularly susceptible to its dangers, according to the World Health Organization. Cadmium exposure can impact kidneys and fertility, among other issues it causes, according to the FDA.Â
The heavy metals can contaminate cocoa beans in a variety of ways, depending on where they're grown and how they're processed. The study in Frontiers noted cocoa farms and plants are often found near industrial facilities and become contaminated through their pollution. The plants can also take in heavy metals from soil, according to Consumer Reports.
What's being done about heavy metals in food?
If you're concerned about the quantities of heavy metals in your dark chocolates of choice, you can check out the website of the nonprofit As You Sow, which breaks down the levels in various products and how to take precautions.
Consumer Reports also spoke with As You Sow, which has been championing changes to manufacturing practices to limit contact with lead. Cadmium is harder to weed out, but the organization is looking at ways to maintain cleaner soil by treating it and careful breeding and planting to reduce the amount the beans absorb.Â
The FDA also has its Closer to Zero program, focused primarily on children, which recognizes actions that can be taken to reduce exposure to toxic metals.
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