Heavy Metals Results
In our January newsletter, we reported on the sources of heavy metals, specifically lead and cadmium, that are found in chocolate. This was following recent news that typical chocolate bars have higher levels of these metals than the California “Prop 65” standards for harmful chemicals. (California has more stringent standards than the FDA and European standards.)
We don't know or even suspect that eating chocolate is harmful, in fact, chocolate has been studied a lot and shown to be very healthy, especially very dark chocolate. But until we understand whether the heavy metals are a problem or not, it seems like the right thing to do is be transparent about the issue.
So, we tested for lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium in a sample of both strictly Kulike Farm beans as well as our chocolate made with other farms' beans (we buy the wet beans and do all the fermenting, drying, roasting etc here).
First - there was "no significant risk level" reported for arsenic or mercury in any samples. Our 100% Kulike Farm cacao lead level was "non-detect" - i.e. below the detection level of 0.01 ppm. (Yay!) The lead level in the chocolate with other farms' beans was a little above this, but below the California Maximum Allowable Dose Level per serving size of one ounce.
Our 100% Kulike Farm cacao cadmium level is 0.3 ppm, which is right at the limit of the Food and Drug Administration (0.3 ppm), and lower than the European limit of 0.8 ppm per day. The California Prop 65 limit is 4.1 micrograms per serving per day, which is generally considered to be one ounce for chocolate. One ounce of ours’ (six squares, half a bar) contains 8.5 micrograms, so that is over the California Prop 65 limit. If you have three squares of all-Kulike Farm chocolate, you are in line with the California daily level.
The sample of a bar we made with a mixture of beans had a higher cadmium level, 16 micrograms/ounce, so you would have to limit yourself to 1.5 squares to stay below the California daily level.
Our cadmium results were not what we hoped, but also not too surprising, because cadmium is found naturally in cacao grown in volcanic soils all over the world; the cacao trees pick it up. (We wonder if there could be a connection with the artists' paint colors of "cadmium red," "cadmium orange" and "cadmium yellow" - the exact colors of ripe cacao pods?!).
We will continue to keep our heavy metal levels as low as we can. For example we are:
· continuing to keep the wet and drying beans clean and free of dust, which is the main source of lead contamination;
· continuing to raise the acidity of our soil by adding lime and mulch, which limits how much cadmium the trees take up;
· planting more companion plants with the cacao that pick up heavy metals (such as comfrey and gotu kola); and
· sharing the advice above with the farmers we buy beans from.
Also, over time we are increasing the proportion of Kulike Farm beans in our chocolate, which had half the amount of cadmium than the mix from our fellow farmers. This is happening naturally as our trees mature and we plant more and more of our own cacao trees.
If you have any other comments or questions, please send us a note via the "Contact Us" feature on our website.
Aloha,
Rachel and Dan
https://www.kulikefarm.com/shop
