Chocolate is a health food!

Unless: it contains Lead or Cadmium. Find out which ones are safe!

Yes. The really bad news is that recent tests show that a great deal of chocolate on the market contains lead and cadmium. Both of these are heavy metals and they are toxic to the body. Lead is toxic to the nervous system, liver, kidneys, and reproductive system. Cadmium can cause increased systolic blood pressure, kidney disease, bone disease, yellow teeth and more.

The good news is that: As You Sow, a consumer health protection organization, commissioned an independent state-certified laboratory to measure levels of lead and cadmium in 50 chocolate products available at retailers across California. Below is a list of the lead and cadmium free chocolates a friend of mine compiled from their that research, followed by a list of the ones they found to be high in lead or cadmium. We now use this list when shopping, to insure we get chocolate that is safe.

Brands Found to be Free of Heavy Metals: Lead and Cadmium:

Whitman's Candies, Inc.
      • Whitman's Solid Milk Chocolate Rabbit
The Hershey Company
      • Hershey's Kisses Milk Chocolate
      • Reese's Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Starbucks Corporation
      • Starbucks Dark Chocolate covered grahams
Russel Stover Candies, LLC
      • Russell Stover Milk Chocolate Break-Apart Bunny
Nestle Holdings, Inc.
      • Nestle Crunch
      • Ovaltine Classic Malt Mix
     • Nestle Crunch Milk Chocolate with Crisped Rice
Mondelez International, Inc.
     • Green & Black's Organic Milk Chocolate (34% Cacao)
     • Toblerone of Switzerland Milk Chocolate with Honey and Almond Nougat
     • Green & Black's Organic Milk Chocolate (34% Cacao)
Mars, Incorporated
     • Snickers
     • CocoaVia Daily Cocoa Extract Supplement
     • Snickers Bar
     • Dove Solid Milk Chocolate Bunny Silky Smooth
     • M&M's Chocolate Candies Milk Chocolate, Made with
Real Milk Chocolate
Lindt & Sprungli Gmbh (Germany)
     • Lindt Gold Bunny Milk Chocolate
Lindt & Sprungli (USA) Inc.
     • Lindt Excellence A Touch of Sea Salt Dark (with Fleur de Sel sea salt crystals)
Kraft Foods Group, Inc.
     • Toblerone Swiss Milk Chocolate Bar with Honey and Almond Nougat
Jo's Candies
     • Jo's Candies Dark Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers All Natural
Hershey Company
     • Hershey's Kisses Milk Chocolate
     • Hershey's Milk Chocolate Eggs
     • Hershey's Solid Milk Chocolate Snapsy Snap-Apart Bunny Easy To Snap And Share
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company
     • Ghiradelli Intense Dark Midnight Reverie (86% Cacao)
     • Ghirardelli Chocolate Milk Chocolate Eggs
     • Ghirardelli Chocolate Premium Baking Bar 60% Cacao
Bittersweet Chocolate
Ferrero USA Inc.
     • Ferrero Collection Fine assorted Confections
DeMet's Candy Company
     • Flipz 50% cacao Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzels
Albertson's, LLC (SuperValu, Inc.)
     • Wild Harvest Organic Rich Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix

And now for the ones to be avoided. I was especially saddened to see so many of my beloved Trader Joe's Chocolates on the naughty list. Frown.

Brands Found to Contain Excess Levels of Heavy Metals: Lead or Cadmium.

Bissinger’s
     • Bissinger’s All Natural 60% Dark Chocolate Whole Almonds   Lead
Earth Circle Foods dba River Canyon Retreat Inc.
     • Earth Circle Organics Organic Balinese Cacao Nibs Cold Pressed   Cadmium
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company
     • Ghiradelli Intense Dark 72% Cacao Twilight Delight Chocolate Bar   Cadmium
     • Ghiradelli Chocolate Premium Baking Bar 100% Cacao Unsweetened Chocolate   Lead & Cadmium
Godiva
     • Godiva Chocolatier 50% Cacao Dark Chocolate Sea Salt   Lead
     • Godiva Chocolatier 85% Cacao Extra Dark Chocolate   Lead & Cadmium
     • Godiva Chocolatier 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate   Lead & Cadmium
The Hershey Company
     • Scharffen Berger Semisweet Fine Artisan Dark Chocolate (62% cacao)   Cadmium
     • Scharffen Berger Extra Dark Fine Artisan Dark Chocolate (82% cacao)   Cadmium
Dagoba
     • Organic New Moon Rich Dark Chocolate (74% cacao)   Lead & Cadmium
Lake Champlain Chocolates
     • Lake Champlain Chocolates Dark Chocolate (57% cocoa)   Lead & Cadmium
Lindt & Sprüngli (USA) Inc.
     • Lindt Excellence 85% Cocoa Excellence Extra Dark   Lead & Cadmium
Mars, Incorporated
     • Dove Silky Smooth Dark Chocolate Bar   Cadmium
Mondelez International, Inc.
     • Green & Black’s Organic 85% Cacao Bar Lead &   Cadmium
Moonstruck Chocolate
     • See’s Candies Premium Extra Dark Chocolate (62% cacao)   Cadmium
The Kroger Co.
     • Private Selection 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Swiss Bar   Lead & Cadmium
Theo Chocolate Theo
     • Organic Fair Trade Pure 85% Dark Chocolate   Cadmium
Trader Joe’s Company
     • Trader Joe’s Swiss 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate   Lead
     • Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Bar – Toffee With Walnuts and Pecans 70% cacao   Lead
     • Trader Joe’s Pound Plus Dark Chocolate   Lead
     • Trader Joe’s Pound Plus, 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate   Lead
     • Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate 73% Cacao Super Dark   Lead & Cadmium
     • Trader Joe’s The Dark Chocolate Lover’s Chocolate Bar (85% cacao)   Lead & Cadmium
     • Trader Joe's Single Origin Chocolate Passport Tanzania 73% Cacao   Lead and Cadmium
     • Trader Joe's Single Origin Chocolate Passport Papua New Guinea 70% Cacao   Lead and Cadmium
     • Trader Joe's Single Origin Chocolate Passport Dominican Republic 70% Cacao   Lead and Cadmium
     • Trader Joe's Single Origin Chocolate Passport Venezuela 70% Cacao   Lead and Cadmium
     • Trader Joe's Single Origin Chocolate Passport Ecuador 66% Cacao   Lead and Cadmium
     • Trader Joe's Single Origin Chocolate Passport Peru 60% Cacao   Lead and Cadmium
Vosges, Ltd. Wild
     • Ophelia All Natural New Orleans Chili – Dark Chocolate Bar (70% cacao)   Lead
Whole Foods Market, Inc.
     • 365 Everyday Value Organic Dark Chocolate (56% Cacao)   Lead & Cadmium
     • 365 Everyday Value Organic Dark Chocolate Coconut 56% Cacao   Lead and Cadmium
Creative Natural Products, Inc. Chocolove
     • Chocolove Extra Strong Dark Chocolate- 77% Cocoa Content   Lead
     • Chocolove Strong Dark Chocolate Bar 70% Cocoa Content   Lead

For those who are fearful that they have ingested unhealthy levels of these or any heavy metals, here is a helpful tip. Modified Citrus Pectin has been proven, in medical studies, to safely remove heavy metals from the body. The down side: it is very constipating. When I use it, I also use Homozon (http://www.theoriginalhomozon.com) to keep my system moving. Homozon is also helpful for eliminating heavy metals from the body. To read more about Modified Citrus Pectin go here. List of products is on the left side of page.

My hope is that now that this information has been made public, these companies will take swift steps to insure that all their chocolates are lead and cadmium free.

Okay, back to work.