NEWSWEEK – A significant number of cocoa products, including chocolate, sold in the U.S. by retailers such as Whole Foods, Amazon and GNC may exceed safety guidelines for heavy metals, with organic options being the worst offenders.
A new study published in Frontiers in Nutrition reveals that 43 percent of cocoa products studied exceeded the maximum allowable dose for lead, and 35 percent exceeded the limit for cadmium.
Products labeled as organic also showed higher levels of both heavy metals compared to non-organic options.
Newsweek has reached out to Whole Foods, Amazon and GNC via email for comment.
Researchers from George Washington University analyzed 72 consumer cocoa products, including dark chocolate, every other year, over an eight-year period.
They tested for contamination by lead, cadmium, and arsenic—heavy metals that pose health risks such as neurological damage, kidney disease, and cancer at high levels.
For the average consumer, a single serving of these cocoa products is not likely to carry a serious risk based on the median concentrations found.
However, multiple servings or consuming them with other heavy metal products could exceed safe exposure limits, the authors said.
