Hershey’s aims to reduce lead, cadmium in dark chocolate

Hershey Co is looking to reduce the amount of “trace” lead and cadmium in its chocolate, chief financial officer Steve Voskuil told Reuters on Wednesday, after Consumer Reports found that some dark chocolate has potentially dangerous levels of heavy metals.

Consumer Reports, a nonprofit consumer group, tested chocolate bars including those made by Hershey late last year and found that some of them contained levels of lead, cadmium or both that could be harmful to people who eat more than an ounce a day.

Trace amounts of metals found in some chocolates are “below recommended levels, any standard,” Voskuil said, adding that lead and cadmium are elements in the soil and can occur naturally in the product.

“Depending on where you’re sourcing from, you might get more lead or cadmium in West Africa than South America, but in both cases it’s a natural ingredient,” he said.

“We will be happy to remove it completely and continue to look for opportunities in the process, there is more we can do there,” said on the sidelines of the day the Pennsylvania-based company investor.

A company spokesman said it was “difficult to eliminate” the elements from agricultural materials.

Consumer Reports found that Hershey’s Lily 85 percent dark chocolate contains lead and cadmium. A Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate is slightly sweet and Lily’s 70 percent extra dark chocolate is also high in lead, according to the report.

Voskuil said the process of manufacturing and cleaning cocoa beans removes the “majority” of lead and cadmium.

Hershey is “evaluating” if it can remove more metals through additional refining of cocoa beans or alternative sources, he said.

“Although the cleaning process we are always looking, is there anything else we can do to reduce it even lower,” said Voskuil.

Hershey is facing several lawsuits from consumers who claim the chocolate maker should have disclosed the levels of heavy metals, and that they would have paid less or not bought the product if they had known.

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