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"Notably, 'organic' products were significantly more likely to demonstrate higher levels of both lead and cadmium" Bummer. How widespread is this problem in other organic foods?
"Notably, 'organic' products were significantly more likely to demonstrate higher levels of both lead and cadmium" Bummer. How widespread is this problem in other organic foods?
I found this reddit comment. It may be that West African cocoa is all conventionally grown (by a cartel) while American cocoa, where heavy metals are more common, is more likely to be organic. You are falling for a scam. The truth is that West Africa retains a monopoly scaring you consumers with talk of “lead” and “cadmium”. To begin with, Cadmium is not heavily present in West Africa. It is very common in volcanoes…
> As for “lead”, this is from pesticides or private aviation. That said, cocoa pods are thick and it is questionable how much of this actually gets into your final product given the thick skin of the cocoa pod.
The commenter might have been discussing a different study, but this one appears to have tested the final product. If it found lead, people are eating lead.
I assume the heavy metals are coming from the soil. Arsenic is a common one in a lot of crops because of historic use of arsenic pesticides. Where is the lead and cadmium coming from? Road dust?
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34014515 ("Research reveals ways lead and cadmium in chocolate may be reduced", 82 comments)
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38038465 "A third of chocolate products are high in heavy metals", 201 comments)
I think this was the plot of an episode of CSI (don't recall which sub-series, maby Miami?) in the 2000's. Eventually they determine a guy dies of lead poisoning and they figure out he ate massive amounts of chocolate candy. Conclusion: leaded gas used in other countries caused lead buildup on coco plants there and eventually gets shipped back to US chocolate makers.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I found this reddit comment. It may be that West African cocoa is all conventionally grown (by a cartel) while American cocoa, where heavy metals are more common, is more likely to be organic. You are falling for a scam. The truth is that West Africa retains a monopoly scaring you consumers with talk of “lead” and “cadmium”. To begin with, Cadmium is not heavily present in West Africa. It is very common in volcanoes…
That seems not entirely persuasive. In particular: > As for “lead”, this is from pesticides or private aviation. That said, cocoa pods are thick and it is questionable how much of this actually gets into your final product given the thick skin of the cocoa pod. The commenter might have been discussing a different study, but this one appears to have tested the final product. If it found lead, people are eating lead.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
That seems not entirely persuasive. In particular: > As for “lead”, this is from pesticides or private aviation. That said, cocoa pods are thick and it is questionable how much of this actually gets into your final product given the thick skin of the cocoa pod. The commenter might have been discussing a different study, but this one appears to have tested the final product. If it found lead, people are eating lead.
I saw that. I’m not sure it invalidates the rest of the comment
I'd rather hear "actually, these levels of cadmium, arsenic, and lead are well within safe limits unless you're eating nothing but chocolate all day" (with matching data of course), which would better reassure me about the fancy South American organic chocolates. And/or if the commenter is trying to say that the more mass-produced West African conventional chocolates are worse, what are the specific health dangers (to the workers, apparently) posed by their pesticides that I should actually be concerned about?