Pantry
Fewer chemicalsLead and cadmium turn up in a lot of dark chocolate. This bar tested well below California’s daily limits for both.
Our pick
Ghirardelli Intense Dark 86% Cacao Bar, 3.17 oz
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In As You Sow’s 2022 lab tests, both samples of Ghirardelli Intense Dark 86% came in under California’s daily limits for lead (below the detection limit) and cadmium per serving.
Lead and cadmium turn up in dark chocolate. In that study, 43% of products exceeded California’s daily limit for lead per serving and 35% for cadmium. FDA says no safe level of lead exposure has been identified.
General information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor, especially if you’re pregnant, nursing or have a health condition.
At 86% cacao it’s strong and not very sweet. In the same study, products labelled organic were more likely to be higher in lead and cadmium.
Health and safety facts on this page come from these sources. What a pick is made of comes from its maker's listing or website, as stated on the date we checked.
Lead in dark chocolate varies from bar to bar: in a 2024 study of 72 dark chocolate and cocoa products, 43% topped California’s daily lead limit in one serving, and those labelled organic were more likely to be higher. In As You Sow’s 2022 tests, lead in both samples of our pick, Ghirardelli Intense Dark 86%, was below the detection limit.
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