Hershey sued in United States over metal in dark chocolate claim

BBC: Chocolate manufacturer Hershey has been sued in the US over claims the firm is selling products containing harmful levels of metal.

The lawsuit brought by Christopher Lazazzaro alleges the firm misled consumers by failing to disclose the quantities of lead and cadmium in three dark chocolate bars.

He claimed he would not have purchased the products if he had been aware.
Hershey’s did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Some studies suggest that the antioxidants and relatively low levels of sugar in dark chocolate could help prevent heart disease.

But the lawsuit refers to recent findings by US magazine Consumer Reports (CR), which tested 28 dark chocolate bars for lead and cadmium.

The magazine alleged that 23 of them, including chocolate from Hershey, Godiva and Lindt, contained “comparatively higher levels” of the metals.

“For 23 of the bars, eating just an ounce (28g) a day would put an adult over a level that public health authorities and CR’s experts say may be harmful for at least one of those heavy metals,” it claimed.In particular, Hershey’s Special Dark bar and Lily’s 70 percent bar were high in lead, 

while Lily’s 85 percent bar was high in lead and cadmium.
“Any food can contain heavy metals if they are present in the soil in high concentration,” nutritionist Sheeba Majmudar told the BBC.

“Currently there are no food laws stating that all food batches need to be tested - until they make you sick. While no level of toxins is safe, it is always the ‘buyer beware’ slogan that comes to mind,” she added.Lazazzaro’s lawsuit, filed on Wednesday in a federal court in New York,  alleges that he would not have bought or wanted to pay less for the Hershey’s Special Dark Mildly Sweet Chocolate, Lily’s Extra Dark Chocolate 70 percent Cocoa and Lily’s Extreme Dark Chocolate bars.