Hershey’s was sued in the US after the study found heavy metals in its dark chocolate

A lawsuit filed in New York State alleges that Hershey’s “failed to disclose” that some of its chocolate products “contain unsafe levels of lead and cadmium.” On December 28, a New York man named Christopher Lazzaro filed the suit in federal court on Long Island. The suit seeks a class action lawsuit against the mass-market chocolate maker, which acquired the license to manufacture Cadbury products in the United States in 1988, according to a report in Watchman.

The outlet further states that Hershey sources its ingredients and manufactures its products “with the exclusive knowledge of quality control testing on the products and ingredients contained therein,” and the lawsuit alleges that Hershey “knew and could not have been unaware of the presence of lead and cadmium in the products.”

However, the complaint refers to recent findings by the US magazine Consumer Reports, which examined lead and cadmium levels in 28 dark chocolate bars. According to the magazine, 23 of them, including Lindt, Hershey, and Godiva chocolates, have “relatively higher amounts” of minerals. “For a 23 tablet, eating just 28 grams a day would put an adult above the level that public health authorities and CR experts say may be harmful for at least one of those heavy metals,” the report states.

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Lead levels were particularly high in Hershey’s Special Dark and Lily bars at 70 percent, while lead and cadmium levels were especially high in the Lily bar at 85 percent, BBC States.

In his claim, Mr. Lazzaro asserts that he would not have chosen to pay less for chocolate bars of Hershey’s Special Dark Mildly Sweet Chocolate, Lily’s Extra Dark Chocolate with 70 percent cocoa, and Lily’s Extreme Dark Chocolate. Lead poisoning can lead to a number of health problems, including anemia and weakness. Lead poisoning can harm the kidneys and brain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children exposed to lead are at risk of developing learning and behavior problems, as well as damage to the brain and nervous system.