5 brands—including Trader Joe's—whose dark chocolate tested high for lead, cadmium

Thousands of customers flock to Trader Joe's, mostly due to the fact that of its wide scope of market options, affordable prices — and the astir endless enactment of snacks.

And portion you whitethorn deliberation grabbing a acheronian cocoa bar off of the support is the healthier option, a caller Consumer Reports (CR) survey shows that those cocoa bars whitethorn really exposure you to harmful chemicals similar pb and cadmium.

For the study, CR tested 28 acheronian cocoa bars, which are commonly suggested for their heart wellness benefits, to measurement the levels of dense metals. Lead and cadmium were detected successful each of the products.

To find which chocolates posed the astir risk, CR utilized California's maximum allowable dose level (MADL) for pb and cadmium arsenic a base. Any merchandise with a percent implicit 100% for either chemic exceeds the MADL.

Some Trader Joe's favorites were connected the database of products that the survey recovered to person precocious levels of those chemicals.

1. Trader Joe's: Dark Chocolate 72% Cacao (192% of the pb MADL) and The Dark Chocolate Lover's Chocolate 85% Cacao (127% of the pb MADL, 229% of the cadmium MADL)
2. Hershey's: Special Dark Mildly Sweet Chocolate (265% of the pb MADL)
3. Lindt: Excellence Dark Chocolate
   85% Cocoa (166% of the pb MADL) and Excellence Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa (116% of the cadmium MADL)
4. Godiva: Signature Dark Chocolate 72% Cacao (146% of the pb MADL)
5. Dove: Promises Deeper Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao (112% of the cadmium MADL)

Alter Eco, Endangered Species, Theo, and Trader Joe's did not respond to the study from Consumer Reports

Here's what other you request to know

Low-level pb exposure tin person terrible impacts connected children's cognitive abilities, according to Dr. Fred Henretig, elder toxicologist astatine the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

And being exposed to precocious levels of pb whitethorn origin weakness, anemia and kidney oregon encephalon damage, affecting children much than adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Additionally, "when eaten, ample amounts of cadmium tin severely irritate the tummy and origin vomiting and diarrhea," the agency says.

Several lawsuits person been filed against a fewer of the brands, including Trader Joe's and Hershey's – with consumers claiming they were misled and enactment successful information owed to the products' dense metallic content.

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