No level of lead is safe for children. Lead exposure has been a significant public health issue for decades. Lead is linked to a variety of neurological impairments, including learning disabilities, seizures, and a lower IQ. Developing fetuses and children are especially vulnerable to lead exposure because their brains are in critical growth and development stages.

“As underscored by the Flint disaster, humans have contaminated our environment with lead, and now we must do everything in our power to protect ourselves and our children, who are the most vulnerable of us, from every possible exposure,” said Sean Palfrey, MD, a pediatrician and Professor of Pediatrics and Public Health at Boston University School of Medicine. “Young children and pregnant women especially should avoid exposure to lead.”

Cadmium is also known to cause reproductive harm. Cadmium can cause damage to the kidney, liver, and bones, while also impairing neurobehavioral development. Children are more susceptible than adults to exposure from low doses of cadmium over time.

As You Sow has conducted independent laboratory testing of over 469 chocolate products for lead and cadmium. Based on the results of our testing, which found 285 of the 469 chocolate products tested contain lead and/or cadmium above California’s MADLs, we filed legal notices with over 20 companies, including Trader Joe’s, Hershey’s, Mondelēz, Lindt, Whole Foods, Kroger, Godiva, See’s Candies, Mars, Theo Chocolate, Equal Exchange, Ghirardelli, and Chocolove, for failing to warn consumers that their chocolate products contain cadmium or lead, or both.

In 2018, our legal efforts culminated in a first-of-its-kind settlement with the world’s largest chocolate companies. In partnership with As You Sow, 31 chocolate companies, including Cargill, Hershey, Mars, and Nestle, committed to funding an independent expert committee to investigate the sources of lead and cadmium in chocolate, find feasible measures to lower levels of these metals, and evaluate and recommend the lead and cadmium concentration levels in chocolate that trigger Proposition 65 warnings. The results from the expert committee are available. In the meantime, we’ve updated our testing of chocolates for lead and cadmium.

Since 2014, As You Sow has been testing chocolate products offered for sale in California to assess levels of lead and cadmium in such products. All testing has been performed at independent, state-certified laboratories. The table below shows the company, product, date of testing, and the exposure levels of lead and/or cadmium found in each sampled chocolate product, shown in micrograms per serving (µg/serving). See our FAQ for more information on how we test these products.

WHAT DO THESE NUMBERS MEAN?

The State of California has established Maximum Allowable Dose Levels (MADLs) for chemicals causing reproductive toxicity, including lead and cadmium. The results in this chocolate tracker are colored red or green depending on whether they are above or below the MADLs set for lead and cadmium. If the exposure value is below or equal to 0.5 µg/day for lead or below 4.1 µg/day of cadmium, the value will be green. If the exposure value is greater than 0.5 µg/day for lead or greater than 4.1 µg/day for cadmium, the box will be red.