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Now Trader Joe’s is being sued by two New Yorkers after toxic metals were found in its dark chocolate bars, a week after Hershey’s was hit with a similar lawsuit.
- Trader Joe’s faces two lawsuits in New York City over its dark chocolate bars
- Two of its products were found to have high levels of toxic metals in a recent report
- The lawsuits come a week after a New York man sued Hershey’s for the same reason.
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Trader Joe’s is facing two lawsuits accusing the supermarket chain of selling dark chocolate products that contain harmful levels of toxic metals.
Both lawsuits were filed in New York this week, coming just weeks after a watchdog found two of the store’s products contained lead and cadmium.
The plaintiffs allege that Trader Joe’s misled and endangered shoppers by exposing them to contaminants, and seek at least $5 million in damages.
Exposure to the pair of chemicals has been linked to organ damage and premature death, although there is no indication that eating a single chocolate bar could cause harm.
A lawsuit against Hershey’s based on the same Consumer Reports report was filed last week in the Empire State.
Consumer Reports found that Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Lover’s Chocolate 85% Cocoa (left) has high levels of cadmium and Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate 72% Cocoa (right) has high levels of lead
The graph above shows the 28 chocolate bars analyzed by Consumer Reports, a New York-based nonprofit organization. All were found to contain lead and cadmium. Consumer Reports compared the levels of the heavy metal in about one ounce of chocolate to the daily exposure levels recommended by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. These are not established specifically for food products, but in general
Cadmium is a naturally occurring element found in soil that is sometimes absorbed by plant roots and ends up in the cocoa beans.
Lead contaminates beans through the environment, possibly when blown by the wind when the beans are air dried.
Last month’s Consumer Reports disclosure found that Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate 72% Cacao is high in lead, and Trader Joe’s The Dark Chocolate Lover’s Chocolate 85% Cacao is high in lead and cadmium.
Tamakia Herd today filed a lawsuit against Trader Joe’s in Manhattan federal court.
Thomas Ferrante, the plaintiff in the second lawsuit, filed his case in Brooklyn earlier this week.
Ferrante said he bought both products after reading their labels and would not have done so or paid less if he had known the content of the lawsuit.
“High levels of lead and cadmium in food products are important to reasonable consumers, because these chemicals pose serious health risks, even in small doses,” he said.
Like the case against Hershey’s, filed last week by Nassau County resident Christopher Lazazzaro, Ferrante and Herd are seeking at least $5 million in damages, including at least $500 per transaction under New York law.
Mr Lazazzaro said last week that excessive levels of metals would turn off reasonable consumers because they pose a “serious health risk”.
There is currently no national limit for lead and cadmium in chocolate bars set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Constant exposure to these metals poses a serious health risk. Exposure to lead and cadmium is linked to an increased risk of kidney and brain damage, bone and lung diseases, and anemia.
Lead exposure is most dangerous for children, as it can severely affect the development of their brain, nervous system, and other vital organs.
It can also cause behavioral problems, as well as lower IQ and hyperactivity.
However, these problems only arise after repeated exposure. A person who has occasionally indulged in one of the chocolates included in the Consumer Reports disclosure is probably fine.
Dark chocolate has been touted for its myriad health benefits.
Cocoa can lower blood pressure and keep the heart healthy by stretching the veins and arteries, thanks to antioxidants known as flavanols.
Scientists have also shown that eating dark chocolate regularly can improve alertness: a 100g bar has almost as much caffeine as a cup of coffee.
It has also been linked to making people happier and reducing the risk of depression.