HEAVY METALS IN CACAO

HEAVY METALS AND CACAO

One of the biggest problems with cacao is the high levels of heavy contamination, such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium.

This comes about for a number of reasons.

CACAO AND HEAVY METALS - SOIL

Much of the areas where cacao is grown are located in areas where the soil is high in heavy metals.

This occurs because of the use of leaded gasoline and some areas have soil that is rich with nutrients from volcanic eruptions.

These eruptions often deposit large amounts of heavy metals.

CACAO AND HEAVY METALS - OLD EQUIPMENT

Many plants where cacao is processed are very old and have equipment that is not properly maintained.

This equipment is often made with parts that are partly composed of lead and arsenic.

This leads to heavy metals getting in the cacao during the manufacturing process.

CADIUM AND CACAO POWDER

Cacao powder, in particular, tends to be high in cadmium.

Removing the fat, to make cacao butter and create the powder, means there will be higher levels of cadmium, as a percetnage of the final product than in a cacao paste, bean or nib.

It's extra important when choosing cacao powder to choose one that is carefully produced and tested.

FINDING CACAO WITHOUT HIGH LEVELS OF HEAVY METALS

The best way to ensure you are getting cacao without high levels of heavy metals is to only buy products that have each batch third-party tested to ensure low levels of heavy metals.

Many companies will give test results based on very small amounts, so the levels seem low, but when taking a full serving, you will often get far higher levels than they claim.

Look for test results that show levels in full serving size or more so you can see what the true levels are.

All cacao products will have some heavy metals, and the key is to find products with the lowest levels possible.