Consumer Reports said on Wednesday that one-third of recently tested chocolate products had "concerning" levels of lead and cadmium, and called on Hershey to reduce the amount of heavy metals in its chocolate.
"Consumer Reports" is a magazine sponsored by the Consumers Union of America that influences American consumer culture. As an independent non-profit organization, the Consumers Union of America aims to provide consumers with neutral information covering products, services, personal finance, health and nutrition.
It is reported that Consumer Reports tested seven products: dark chocolate bars, milk chocolate bars, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, as well as brownies, chocolate cake and hot chocolate.
Products found to contain excessive amounts of heavy metals include dark chocolate bars and hot chocolate mixes from Walmart, cocoa powder from Hershey’s and Drosote’s, semi-sweet chocolate chips from Target, and hot chocolate mixes from Trader Joe’s, Nestlé and Starbucks.
Only the milk chocolate bar, which contained less cocoa solids, did not have excessive levels of heavy metals. Consumer Reports warns that long-term exposure to these heavy metals can cause neurological problems, immune system suppression and kidney damage, with the dangers being greater for pregnant women and young children, as heavy metals can cause developmental problems and even lower IQs.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told Consumers Union of America that experts believe chocolate is one potential source of lead and cadmium exposure, but manufacturers and processors still have a responsibility to ensure their food is safe.
In a release last year, Consumer Reports found that 23 of 28 dark chocolate bars tested contained excessive amounts of lead or cadmium. Cadmium and lead were detected in all of these products, including Hershey's, Theo's, Trader Joe's and other popular brands of chocolate that contained dangerous heavy metals.
Brian Ronholm, the magazine's director of food policy, said Hershey's, as a "leading and popular brand", should work to make its chocolate safer. But it does not impose the same requirements on other manufacturers.
In March of this year, Hershey Chief Financial Officer Steve Voskuil claimed that the company was looking to reduce the content of lead and cadmium, saying that these two metals are naturally occurring soil elements in chocolate products, but we are eager to completely eradicate them.
"Consumer Reports" stated that more than 75,000 consumers earlier signed a petition asking Hershey to reduce the content of heavy metals in chocolate, and now they are petitioning the company again.
Christopher Gindlesperger, spokesman for the American Confectionery Association, said chocolate and cocoa are still safe to eat, just as they have been for centuries.