Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Study finds more lead and cadmium in chocolate, urges change at Hershey

Study finds more lead and cadmium in chocolate, urges change at Hershey
The Hershey Company chocolate factory in downtown Hershey, Pennsylvania, US (Photo: iStock)

Consumer Reports said on Wednesday it had found "concerning" levels of lead and cadmium in a third of various chocolate products it tested recently, and called on Hershey to reduce the amounts of heavy metals in its chocolate.

The American non-profit consumer group said 16 of the 48 products from various makers that its scientists tested contained potentially harmful levels of lead, cadmium or both.


Consumer Reports tested products in seven categories: dark chocolate bars, milk chocolate bars, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and mixes for brownies, chocolate cake and hot chocolate.

Products found to contain excessive metal content included a dark chocolate bar and hot chocolate mix from Walmart, cocoa powder from Hershey's and Droste, semi-sweet chocolate chips from Target, and hot chocolate mixes from Trader Joe's, Nestle and Starbucks.

Only milk chocolate bars, which have fewer cocoa solids, were found not to contain excessive metal content.

Consumer Reports has said long-term exposure to the metals can result in nervous system problems, immune system suppression and kidney damage, with greater danger to pregnant women and young children.

The US Food and Drug Administration told the nonprofit that experts consider chocolate a "minor source of exposure" to lead and cadmium internationally, but that manufacturers and processors remain responsible for ensuring their food's safety.

Wednesday's study followed Consumer Reports' findings last December that 23 of 28 tested dark chocolate bars contained excessive lead or cadmium, including Hershey products sold under its own brand and the Lily's and Scharffen Berger brands.

Consumer Reports food policy director Brian Ronholm said Hershey, as a "leading and popular brand," should commit to making its chocolate safer. The nonprofit did not on Wednesday ask other manufacturers for the same commitment.

In March, Hershey chief financial officer Steve Voskuil said his company was looking to reduce levels of lead and cadmium, saying the metals are elements in soil that can occur naturally in a chocolate product.

"We would love to eradicate it completely," Voskuil said.

Consumer Reports said more than 75,000 consumers signed an earlier petition for Hershey to reduce heavy metals in its chocolate, and that it is now again petitioning the company.

Hershey referred a request for comment to the National Confectioners Association.

"Chocolate and cocoa are safe to eat and can be enjoyed as treats as they have been for centuries," said Christopher Gindlesperger, a spokesman for the trade group. Food safety and product quality remain our highest priorities and we remain dedicated to being transparent and socially responsible.”

(Reuters)

More for you

A woman enters the Selfridges department store

A woman enters the Selfridges department store on December 13, 2024 in London, England

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Retail faces mixed fortunes in 2025 amid cost pressures, AI opportunities, and high street revival


The UK retail sector is bracing for a challenging but opportunity-filled 2025, according to Jacqui Baker, head of retail at RSM UK. While the industry grapples with rising costs and heightened crime, advancements in artificial intelligence and a revival of the high street offer potential pathways to growth, she said.

Keep ReadingShow less
unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend

Unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend

Photo: Southend-on-Sea City Council

1,100 unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend safety crackdown

Southend-on-Sea City Council officials have secured food condemnation orders from Chelmsford Magistrates Court, resulting in the seizure and destruction of 1,100 unauthorised soft drinks.

The condemned drinks, including Mountain Dew, 7-UP, Mirinda, and G Fuel energy drinks, were found during routine inspections of food businesses across Southend by the council’s environmental health officers.

Keep ReadingShow less
Charity Super.Mkt at Brent Cross Shopping centre in north London

A customer browses clothes inside Charity Super.Mkt at Brent Cross Shopping centre in north London on, December 17, 2024

Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images

Brits kindle Christmas spirit with second-hand gifts

Bursting with customers one afternoon the week before Christmas, a second-hand charity shop in London's Marylebone High Street looked even busier than the upscale retailers surrounding it.

One man grabbed two puzzle sets and a giant plush toy as a present for friends, another picked out a notebook for his wife.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nothing is more important than your Mental Elf

Nothing is more important than your Mental Elf

Lancashire Mind’s 11th Mental Elf fun run was its biggest and best yet – a sell-out event with more than 400 people running and walking in aid of the mental charity, plus dozens more volunteering to make the day a huge success.

The winter sun shone on Worden Park in Leyland as families gathered for either a 5K course, a 2K run, or a Challenge Yours’Elf distance which saw many people running 10K with the usual running gear replaced with jazzy elf leggings, tinsel and Christmas hats.

Keep ReadingShow less
A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale

A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale, on December 13, 2024 in London, England.

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Retail sales disappoint before Christmas

UK retail sales rose less than expected in the runup to Christmas, according to official data Friday that deals a fresh blow to government hopes of growing the economy.

Separate figures revealed a temporary reprieve for prime minister Keir Starmer, however, as public borrowing fell sharply in November.

Keep ReadingShow less