Cacao plants accumulating Lead and Cadmium

high cadmium levels found in chocolate

Table chocolate is produced using cacao beans, which is third in the world market of raw materials after sugar and coffee. Researchers at Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia felt the need to conduct a study, so as to be able to find out the concentration of cadmium in products such as table chocolate, which is produced and consumed greatly at the regional and national levels in Colombia.

Spoken by: Pamela Neuwirth

References & further links

• Inspired by Eva Maria Lopez in an online discussion on May 6, 2021.
• Alarming levels of lead and cadmium found in Trader Joe’s, Hershey’s, and other chocolates
• Cadmium, cocoa beans and chocolate
• EC-Europa.eu - Chemical Safety - Cadmium
• EUR-Lex - 32014R0488 - EN - EUR-Lex.
• The Impacts of New EU Cadmium Regulations on the Cocoa Supply Chain
• World Health Organization. Exposure to cadmium: a major public health concern

Image credit

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