Lead found in nearly half of dark chocolate, other cocoa products, study finds

August 01, 2024 at 16:47 PM EDT

A new study published this week found 43% of chocolate products tested in a multiyear period exceeded the acceptable level of lead contamination set by California standards.

A multiyear study of dozens of chocolate products shows an alarming percentage containing heavy metals above the state of California's recommended levels, but most are deemed safe by the federal government's standards.

Researchers from George Washington University tested 72 cocoa-containing products from 2017 to 2022 and found 43% contained lead at a higher concentration than deemed safe under California's Prop 65 law, and 35% exceeded the recommended level of cadmium, according to findings released this week in Frontiers in Nutrition magazine.

However, researchers found 70 of the 72 cocoa-containing products they analyzed fell below limits set by the Food and Drug Administration for lead contamination.

The researchers said the findings of their study showed the products may not pose a health risk when consumed as single servings, though larger portions could exceed the strict California limits.

The recommended single serving for chocolate is about 1 ounce to 2 ounces (30 gm to 60 gm).

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"If contaminated products as a whole are consumed in small amounts and infrequently by most, these contaminants may not be a public health concern," the study reads. "In contrast, if many such products are consumed fairly regularly by the average consumer, the additive exposure may be a public health concern."

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Some consumer groups and independent test agencies have previously reported heavy metal contamination in cocoa products such as dark chocolate, with possible causes being the type of soil where cocoa is grown and industrial processing.