SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND TROPICAL MEDICINE
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![Dark chocolate](/https/sph.tulane.edu/sites/default/files/2024-06/Chocolate_Getty.png)
A dark side to dark chocolate? New study finds very minimal risk for kids from metals in chocolates
Chocolate lovers may have been alarmed by a 2023 Consumer Reports finding that some dark chocolate brands could contain harmful levels of lead and cadmium.
However, a new study by Tulane University published in Food Research International has found that dark chocolate poses no adverse risk for adults and contains nutritionally beneficial levels of essential minerals.
The study sampled 155 dark and milk chocolates from various global brands sold in the United States and tested for the presence of 16 heavy metals ranging from the toxic (lead and cadmium) to the essential (copper, iron, zinc). The study then modeled the risk of eating one ounce of the chocolates per day which is equivalent to consuming more than two whole chocolate bars a week.
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