Popular Dark Chocolate Brands Contain Dangerous Heavy Metals, Report Finds

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A new report by Consumer Reports found that many prominent brands contain high levels of dangerous heavy metals, so you might want to hold off on binge eating dark chocolates this holiday season.

A group of 28 dark chocolate bars, including popular brands like Hershey's, Godiva, and Trader Joe's, were found to have high levels of lead and arsenic.

CR found that for 23 of the bars, a single ounce per day would be enough to put an adult over harmful levels of heavy metals. 15 percent of people eat chocolate every day according to market research cited by the report.

Exposure to heavy metals in pregnant people and children can cause long-term brain damage.

Tunde Akinleye said in the report that there are risks for people of any age.

Even if you don't eat chocolate a lot, you can accumulate dangerous levels of heavy metal in your body if you combine that with other foods.

It's not all bad. The bars had low levels of heavy metals.

It's possible for companies to make products with less heavy metals, and for consumers to find safer products.

Ideally, consumers wouldn't have to rely on carefully reviewing independent studies and scientific literature just to pick out a gift, but until then, CR offers the safest buying guide.

The most prominent brand was Ghirardelli. Lindt, Dove, Godiva, Trader Joe's, and Hershey's were all found to sell bars with high levels of lead, or both.

Milk chocolate has a lower level of heavy metals than dark chocolate. The bean that chocolate is made from has higher levels of cacao.

According to Michael J. DiBartolomeis, a toxicologist and a former California Department of Public Health official, it appears lead is introduced into cacao beans after they're harvest and left to dry in the sun. The Cacao plants derive it from the soil.

Is it possible to give up dark chocolate forever? CR advises being aware of its risks and treating chocolate as a treat while choosing brands with the lowest levels of heavy metals.

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