Tests indicate the presence of heavy metals in famous chocolates

In a recent effort, the North American NGO and magazine Consumer Reports (CR) analyzed around 48 types of industrialized chocolates from different brands. The result of this analysis was alarming.

According to CR, the samples had high levels of cadmium and lead, two heavy metals that are harmful to health.

To give you an idea, if they accumulate above what is allowed in the Human Body, these substances can facilitate the development of diseases such as cancer and cognitive problems, for example.

James E. Rogers, responsible for testing the safety of products carried out by Consumer Reports, made important warnings.

“Sixteen of the 48 products had quantities above CR (Consumer Reports) for at least one of the heavy metals – in some cases, more than double our limit”, he said.

It is worth noting that among the brands “caught” in the tests are famous titles such as Nestlé and Hershey’s.

How were the tests carried out?

In the tests, the responsible experts took three samples of each type of chocolate and measured the presence of arsenic and mercury, as well as lead and cadmium.

Surprisingly, none of the products recorded any traces of mercury and arsenic. On the other hand, almost all of them had lead and cadmium levels well above what is tolerated.

To give you an idea of ​​the absurdity, the Perugina and Evolved brands, very famous in the USA, demonstrated heavy metal levels of 539% and 256%, respectively.

James E. Rogers also warned that dark chocolates are more likely to have heavy metals in their compositions than milk chocolates.

(Image: disclosure)

What do the brands say?

Among the brands that sell chocolates “rich” in heavy metals, the aforementioned Hershey’s and Nestlé are the most famous in the Brazilian market.

According to Brian Ronholm, one of the directors of Consumer Reports, Hershey’s has already been notified of the tests carried out on its chocolates and has committed to intensifying the “cleaning” of its products.

Nestlé, considered one of the main food manufacturers on the planet, sent a note to CR. See the full text:

“We apply rigorous standards to ensure our products are of high quality and meet all applicable regulatory requirements, including limits for cadmium and lead.”

* With information from Correio Braziliense

Graduated in History and Human Resources Technology. Passionate about writing, today he lives the dream of working professionally as a Web Content Writer, writing articles in several different niches and formats.