Heavy metals in black chocolate - Reply from an European company

[Javfly33]

I reached out to one fair trade ecological brand that sells chocolate here in Europe, in regards to the latest news of chocolate bars having high levels of lead. Here's what they have replied:

Quote

 

Lead is a heavy metal which is not that mobile. It is not soluble in water and is therefore not absorbed by the roots of the plant. When it’s found in a plant, it’s because of external contamination not related to its culture and in connection with poor management of the food chain, between the harvest and the production of the product.

We own our chocolate factory and manage it with the utmost care. No lead contamination of our products is possible under the strict sanitary conditions we follow

[...you can be sure that the levels of heavy metals present are zero or very low, and in any case lower, than the standards imposed by Europe.]

 

Note that its a sales assistant who spoke with, so take it with a grain of salt, but it makes sense in addition to the research I did on the web that says that cocoa tree do not absorb almost any heavy metals at all from the soil, so its is believed the the contamination happens once the cocoa beans are processed (for example in the drying process). 

Now they say they have strict sanitary conditions in their factories but I think it would be also crucial than in the country of origin there its also the same amount of control, because its where it seems to be happening the contamination, not in a high quality tech factory in Belgium obviously....

So I don't know, still im sure if it's safe or not to have a couple of chocolate tablets of black chocolate a week. I ask them if they did third party analysis and they do not reply to that...

[Michael569]

4 hours ago, Javfly33 said:

I ask them if they did third party analysis and they do not reply to that...

Haha of course not, because they don't. Nobody does unless there was a fearmongering on a market such as those protein powders couple years ago. We may see new brands coming to the market advertising themselves as "lead-free & cadmium-free" rather than "organic" or fair trade. 

Good effort tho, they need to see that members of the public are interested and concerned. They also know the power of social media and the amount of shitstorms a single viral video can create such as cutting their quarterly revenue by 30%

Edited January 26, 2023 by Michael569

[Leo Gura]

5 hours ago, Javfly33 said:

No lead contamination of our products is possible under the strict sanitary conditions we follow

Haha

And Jeffery Epstein was just an innocent guy.

And even if that's true, lead is far from the only chemical of concern.

The only thing that's trustworthy is a chemical assay of their chocolate.

Edited January 26, 2023 by Leo Gura

[mmKay]

5 hours ago, Javfly33 said:

No lead contamination of our products is possible under the strict sanitary conditions we follow

Reminded me of this

Edit: and this:

 

Edited January 26, 2023 by mmKay

[Javfly33]

20 hours ago, mmKay said:

Reminded me of this

Edit: and this:

 

I know, it sounded like commercial bullshit right? LoL

[Javfly33]

21 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

Haha

And Jeffery Epstein was just an innocent guy.

And even if that's true, lead is far from the only chemical of concern.

The only thing that's trustworthy is a chemical assay of their chocolate.

Yeah, and the thing is it doesn't matter if that their factory there is no heavy metal contamination (it would be weird), the thing is its almost 100% guaranteed that the contamination happens at the country of origin, but they totally ignore that...man how they are so full of shit most companies...

And also I reached to other company and they straight up haven't replied.  

[Leo Gura]

Of course the contamination happens at the farm, not the factory.

Edited January 27, 2023 by Leo Gura