Hershey Chocolate Contains Alarming Amount of Lead and Cadmium

According to Reuters, “Consumer Reports finds more lead and cadmium in chocolate, urges change at Hershey.”

The non-profit consumer organization raised red flags on Wednesday after discovering alarming levels of lead and cadmium present in one-third of the variety of chocolate products it tested. The group specifically urged industry giant Hershey to curtail the prevalence of heavy metals in its chocolate products.

Out of the 48 chocolate products from multiple manufacturers evaluated, 16 were found to contain potentially threatening levels of lead, cadmium, or both, according to the research team at Consumer Reports.

The rigorous testing covered seven categories of chocolate-based goods: dark chocolate bars, milk chocolate bars, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and baking mixes for brownies, chocolate cake, and hot chocolate.

Among the products found with excessive metal content were dark chocolate bar and hot chocolate mix from Walmart, cocoa powder from Hershey’s and Droste, semi-sweet chocolate chips from Target, and hot chocolate mixes from Trader Joe’s, Nestle, and Starbucks.

In a stroke of relief, milk chocolate bars, known for having fewer cocoa solids, were found devoid of excessive metal content.

The dangers of prolonged exposure to these heavy metals include nervous system complications, immune system suppression, and kidney damage. Pregnant women and young children are particularly vulnerable to such risks, warns Consumer Reports.

“We would love to eradicate it completely.”

Hershey Chief Financial Officer Steve Voskuil via Reuters

Hershey Chocolate and the FDA

Today added that “FDA has not set levels in these types of products, so there is no federal level set,” as explained by James Rogers, Ph. D., director and acting head of product safety testing at Consumer Reports.

“Our advice always has been, No. 1, don’t panic because we’re looking at chronic exposure over the long-term for most consumers. We’re not saying to go cold turkey on chocolate.”

James Rogers via Today

Upon consultation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration emphasized that while chocolate is regarded as a “minor source of exposure” to lead and cadmium globally, manufacturers and processors still hold the ultimate responsibility for guaranteeing the safety of their food products.

This recent study reinforces the findings of Consumer Reports from last December. The organization reported that 23 of 28 tested dark chocolate bars, including Hershey’s own brands and the Lily’s and Scharffen Berger brands, contained excessive amounts of lead or cadmium.

Calling on Hershey’s role as a “leading and popular brand,” Brian Ronholm, Consumer Reports food policy director, urged the company to prioritize the safety of their chocolate products. No other manufacturers were explicitly requested to make the same commitment on Wednesday.

In response to these findings, Steve Voskuil, the Chief Financial Officer at Hershey, stated in March that the company was actively striving to reduce the levels of lead and cadmium in their products. He acknowledged that these metals are naturally found in soil and can inadvertently end up in chocolate products.

Consumer Reports noted that more than 75,000 consumers have already endorsed a petition urging Hershey to lessen the presence of heavy metals in its chocolate, sparking a new wave of petitions addressing the same concern.

When requested for comment, Hershey directed inquiries to the National Confectioners Association. Spokesman Christopher Gindlesperger defended the safety of chocolate and cocoa, reminding that they have been enjoyed as treats for centuries.

Judit Marsillach, Ph.D., an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington School of Public Health, found the elevated lead levels in the chocolate products particularly startling.

While the detected cadmium levels were also worrisome, they were not as frequently exceeding the benchmark set by Consumer Reports for concern as their lead counterparts, says Marsillach, who was not a part of the report, in a conversation with TODAY.com.

“Also, keep in mind that milk chocolate generally contains lower amounts of heavy metals than dark chocolate because it’s made with fewer cocoa solids. And kids tend to prefer milk chocolate anyway because it’s not as bitter as dark chocolate.”

Judit Marsillach via Today

According to the report by Consumer Reports, every product tested presented traces of heavy metals. However, the levels of lead and cadmium varied significantly across different products.