December 15, 2022 – Thursday
Here’s the link to my original article about Lead & Cadmium in Chocolate (from 2013)
I just created the graphic above and shared the following post on social media (below). Stand by for more on this shortly. Thanks for reading!
Continue reading below the image
PLEASE REALIZE the fundamental flaw with this summary starts with that assumption (that we should be okay with acceptable limits set by our federal [or State] agencies – for any food product.) THERE IS NO SAFE LEVEL OF LEAD EXPOSURE. THERE IS NO SAFE LEVEL OF CADMIUM EXPOSURE. Lead causes brain damage, heart disease, arthritis, reproductive disorders, infertility (it’s a long list). Cadmium causes cancer. Absent stricter manufacturing standards for processed foods, we need to LIMIT our consumption of processed foods and especially chocolate – which is the most (Lead)-contaminated food. This is discussed in the closing scene of my documentary film (pinned in my instagram highlights or go to LeadSafeMama.com and put “my film” in the search bar) – in a scene I filmed – interviewing scientists about the subject – in 2012.
The frustrating bit here is that we cannot seem to keep this issue in the forefront of public consciousness. The news cycle is too saturated and people forget about this very real concern very quickly once something else grabs their attention. NO SAFE LEVEL means NO SAFE LEVEL. Even the “safer choices” suggested by Consumer Reports have too much Lead and too much Cadmium. Ways to limit your consumption of Lead and Cadmium (tips and guidance) are in my Chocolate article – written almost 10 years ago now – linked today earlier on Facebook and in my instagram highlights and stories – and on the home page at LeadSafeMama.com today. #LeadSafeMama #ToxicChocolate We need this type of information NOT to live in fear, but to be able to make safer choices for our families.
So depressing that even the organic brands are bad 🙁
So what is a good one to eat?
Santa Barbara chocolate.
:'(
What chocolate is safe?
While this is shocking and good to know, I’d love to see which are tested and LOW in Cadmium and Lead. I feel like there’s no safe choice
What frustrates me is that dark chocolates are featured here, but nothing is said about milk chocolate. As silly as that seems, the first thing my husband said when he read the article was “milk chocolate for the win!” And my reaction was “no…not milk chocolate for the win-that sucks too!” People seriously don’t know, and nothing is said anywhere about the concerns alive in other candies and milk chocolates too!
Exactly – milk chocolate still has toxicants, it’s just an equation of the dark chocolate used (whatever levels it has) diluted by the milk and sugar (ingredients which have generally significantly less Lead and Cadmium than dark chocolate.)
T
Why do they put in lead in the first place? Sad.
Uh, they don’t PUT lead in it! It comes from the soil.
Please do a complete post on safe or safer ways to eat chocolate. Are any brands tested safe? If so, which ones? Thanks for your work!
This is depressing. Have you tested the eating evolved brand? Thanks
Thank you so much for your heard work and getting all this information out there! I would kindly appreciate for each of these articles the safe list to go with them, similar to the Dirty Dozen/Clean 15. Thank you again!
Unfortunately there are no clean chocolates. Working on a follow up piece, but it will not include a list of brands to buy.
Are you totally chocolate free in your house?
This was my exact question. If you read her original post on chocolate she has a list of suggestions, including sticking to smaller companies, organic (though that’s no guarantee of safety), being especially careful of chocolates produced in countries where safety standards may be lower (lots of detail on why, in the article), and probably the strongest suggestion she follows: to buy your own cacao powder and making your own chocolate goodies. It’s a good article, worth reading.
Montezuma unsweetened dark has tested lower than other brands