Heavy metals in dark chocolate: study warns of lead in food

Du plomb a été retrouvé dans du chocolat noir. (illustration) Elena Leya sur Unsplash

Des recherches publiées dans la revue Frontiers in Nutrition, démontrent que le chocolat contient une importante quantité de plombs et de cadmium, des métaux neurotoxiques, comportant un danger pour la santé.

While dark chocolate is a food known for its virtues and taste, a study in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition has shown that it is not such a good friend for our health.

The level of lead and cadmium found in cocoa and dark chocolate would be significant, according to the transcription of the research done by Fast Company. The study reveals that organic dark chocolate would be even more affected.

The researchers explain that the earth's crust naturally contains lead and cadmium. The plantations would therefore all be, more or less, impregnated with these components. A minimum dose is not dangerous for health. Only that contained in the dark chocolates and cocoa studied is higher.

72 products studied by the researchers

The study analyzed pure dark chocolate, which contains more cocoa. Candies and baking chocolates, containing other foods, were excluded from the research. The experts processed 72 consumer products made with cocoa over a period of eight years. The results reveal that 43% of the products studied exceed the maximum permitted dose for lead and 35% exceed the maximum permitted dose for cadmium set by Proposition 65.

Children are particularly vulnerable because they can absorb up to 100% of the lead contained in the product, if they consume it on an empty stomach, according to theWorld Health Organization. Pregnant women are more susceptible, as are people who are "medically fragile", according to the report.

"It has been known for years that some chocolates contain heavy metals"

Consuming large amounts of lead and cadmium can cause cancer, chronic diseases, and reproductive and developmental problems.

However, no brand names or manufacturers were cited in the research. "It has been known for years that some chocolates contain heavy metals. While it is indeed important to control this phenomenon, it seems that unless we consume excessive quantities of chocolate, we remain well below what is dangerous", explained Professor Thierry Buclin, head physician of the clinical pharmacology department at CHUV, in an article in Femina in 2018.

"Of course, we want exposure close to zero, but that is impossible. Everything we eat probably contains a certain amount of these contaminants. But it's a relative risk,” says Tewodros Godebo, assistant professor of environmental geochemistry at Tulane University.