An investigation has revealed that popular cocoa-based products in France may contribute more than expected to daily exposure to cadmium, a metal that builds up in the body over time and can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Chocolate may be one of life’s small pleasures, but a French consumer group has warned that it can contain a "significant" amount of cadmium – a heavy metal linked to health risks if consumed in excess.
UFC-Que Choisir, which published its findings on Thursday, is calling on French consumers to moderate chocolate consumption, particularly among children.
While the chocolate products tested by UFC-Que Choisir did comply with legal limits, the group warns that cadmium intake can still add up quickly.
Eating several products in a single day – even if each one individually meets regulations – could lead consumers to exceed the tolerable daily dose.
For example, according to the organisation, a 10-year-old who consumed two Bjorg chocolate biscuits, a bowl of Chocapic cereal and a cup of Poulain hot chocolate in one day would be at nearly 50 percent of the recommended daily limit.
Cadmium accumulates in the body over time and has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
France’s food safety agency, Anses, has set the toxicological reference value at 0.35 micrograms of cadmium per kilogram of body weight per day – a limit beyond which health risks present themselves.
Deadly listeria outbreak in France tied to nationwide cheese recall
Naturally occurring
Chocolate producers have acknowledged the findings, with Bjorg and Carambar&Co (which owns Poulain) confirming the presence of cadmium to the consumer group.
Nestlé, the maker of Chocapic cereal, said that although it does not add cadmium, the metal can naturally be present in some raw ingredients.
The fact that the metal is naturally occurring also means that organic chocolate is not automatically safer.
In fact, UFC-Que Choisir notes that cadmium levels can be even higher in organic products, especially when the cocoa beans come from parts of Latin America where the metal occurs naturally in soils.
The group advises choosing organic chocolate made from beans grown outside these high-cadmium regions.
French report links Nestlé bottled waters to record microplastic contamination
Earlier this summer, doctors too raised the alarm over widespread exposure to cadmium among the French population, particularly women and children.
Much of this comes from phosphate-based fertilisers used in agriculture, which leave traces in everyday foods such as breakfast cereals, bread and potatoes.
Anses has said it will publish a full report by the end of the year evaluating human exposure to cadmium and exploring possible ways to reduce the French population’s intake.
