Wait…I thought dark chocolate was healthy, so why am I just learning that it has lead in it?

If you’re a dark chocolate enthusiast who swears by its health benefits, you might want to sit down for this one.

New research published recently has added to mounting evidence that your favorite sweet treat might come with an unwanted surprise: heavy metals. Scientists tested 72 dark chocolate products, including bars, cocoa powders, and nibs, measuring them against California’s strict Proposition 65 chemical regulations. The results?

A whopping 43% contained more lead than the law considers safe, while 35% exceeded the limits for cadmium. What’s really interesting is that going organic won’t even save you. In fact, organic products were more likely to have higher concentrations. And if you’re thinking your fair-trade certification might help – sorry, but that didn’t correlate with lower levels either.

Too much chocolate might be bad for you in more ways than one

But before you throw out your chocolate stash, I’ll give you a bit of perspective. Jacob Hands, the study’s lead author from George Washington University, suggests that moderate consumption shouldn’t cause panic for most healthy adults. Almost all tested chocolates fell within the FDA’s more lenient reference limits for lead. And if it sounds like I’m grasping at straws, it’s because I am.

However, it’s not just dark chocolate that’s the issue. Testing by Consumer Reports found concerning levels of heavy metals in various chocolate products, from brownie mixes to hot cocoa. That probably also means that MrBeast’s “Feastables” chocolates don’t get a pass either. In their examination of 48 different products across seven categories, every single item had detectable amounts of lead and cadmium, with about a third exceeding CR’s levels of concern.

The situation becomes trickier for certain groups. Pregnant women and young children should be particularly cautious, according to Tewodros Rango Godebo from Tulane School of Public Health. Children can absorb up to 50% of ingested lead after a meal, and that number jumps to 100% on an empty stomach.

For those wondering why dark chocolate seems to be the primary culprit, it’s all about the cocoa content. These metals concentrate in cocoa solids, which dark chocolate has in abundance compared to its milky cousin. And the contamination occurs differently for each metal – cadmium typically comes from the soil, while lead often deposits on cocoa beans during the drying process.

Experts suggest that occasional dark chocolate consumption isn’t likely to cause problems for healthy adults. However, if you’re pregnant, have young children, or eat chocolate daily, you might want to be more selective about your choices. The good news? Some manufacturers are already working on reducing these metal levels through improved sourcing and processing methods. Why have they waited so long to fix this issue? Don’t ask me. Remember, moderation is key, and being informed doesn’t mean you need to swear off chocolate forever – it just means making smarter choices about when and how much you consume.