A Recent Report Found High Lead and Cadmium Levels in Chocolate Bars From Hershey's, Trader Joe's, and More Brands

If you have a sweet tooth, dark chocolate is likely one of your favorite treats to indulge in. Before you reach for the bar stashed in your candy drawer, however, review Consumer Reports latest findings: According to their research, certain popular chocolate brands, including Hershey's and Trader Joe's, are producing bars with high levels of lead and cadmium. Consuming unsafe amounts of both could negatively impact your health.

The team tested 28 leading brands' dark chocolates against California's maximum allowable dose level (MADL) for traces of lead and cadmium. This allowed them to determine which chocolates were "safer choices," "high in cadmium," "high in lead," and "high in both cadmium and lead." Consumer Reports found that 23 of these brands were producing products with too-high lead levels. Consuming these impacted foods regularly over time could cause hypertension, immune system problems, kidney damage, and developmental issues in children and adults, said Tunde Akinleye, a food safety researcher in this report.

According to the report, five chocolate bars had the highest amounts of both types of metals: Green & Black's and Lily's (both are owned by the Hershey company), Trader Joe's, and two from Theo. As for how this contamination happened? According to the researchers, lead gets into chocolate beans after they are harvested, when they come in contact with dirty surfaces during production. Cadmium festers during the growth period, a result of soil contamination.

To be safe, Consumer Reports recommends eating dark chocolate more cautiously and examining labels to ensure they include "safer choices" verbiage. They found that Mast, Taza, Valrhona, and Ghirardelli had the lowest levels of both lead and cadmium.

Also, consider consuming dark chocolate with lower cacao percentages; try a 70 percent dark chocolate bar instead of an 80 percent option. This reduces your chance of consuming the heavy metals, since cadmium and lead levels can increase with cacao percentages, notes the team's researchers.