I can’t believe I just found out that chocolate can contain excessive amounts of lead and cadmium during the growing and manufacturing process. Most people may be aware of the harm that heavy metals do to our body’s metabolic functions and organ performance. It also has a serious impact on pregnant women and young children’s brain development. This article published by CR in December 2022 explained why the cocoa bean got contaminated during its growing and manufacturing process. It also tested 28 kinds of dark chocolate bars including Lint, TJ, Godiva, Lily’s the sugar-free brands. 作為一個喜歡吃黑巧克力勝過牛奶巧克力的消費者多年, 竟然在現在才知道巧克力因整個從可可豆生長到製造巧克力的過程中會造成含過量鉛與鎘. 大家應該都知道重金屬對身體可能造成對器官運作以及代謝功能的危害. 對懷孕婦女以及幼小孩童發展智力也會有影響. 2022年底發布, 在2023年十月更新的這篇來自Consumer Report 消費者報告網站的文章, 除了詳細解釋了可可豆在種植與巧克力加工生產的過程中導致含鉛與鎘的原因, 也檢查了美國一般市面上常見的28款黑巧. 裡面不乏Lindt, Trager Joe’s, Godiva, sugar free 品牌的Lily’s. 想到自己曾經送過幾款不安全的黑巧克力給家人朋友們, 就覺得很懊悔啊.
The article mentioned that the cocoa bean contains cadmium from the soil it grows within. The bigger and older the tree grows, the higher the level of cadmium it may contain. An alternative is to choose younger cocoa trees to reduce cadmium content. The reason that cocoa contains lead is that it gets contaminated during the drying process after harvesting. If we can prevent the beans from touching the lead-containing soil and ground, the lead content can be possibly reduced. Otherwise, we have to rely on other methods to remove lead. The following paragraphs are the explanations from the original article. 文章內說到可可豆之所以含鎘來自於可可樹生長的土壤環境. 樹長的越大越老, 吸收土壤內的鎘就越多. 有一個替代辦法是可以選取較為年輕的可可樹, 以降低含鎘的含量. 可可豆含鉛則是因為採收後曬乾的過程中受到汙染而導致. 如果能避免可可豆採收後接觸到含鉛的土壤以及地面, 就能降低可可豆內的含鉛量. 再不就得靠其他額外除去鉛的方式了. 以下為文章中的解釋:
The researchers found that cacao plants take up cadmium from the soil, with the metal accumulating in cacao beans as the tree grows. That’s similar to how heavy metals contaminate some other foods.
But lead seems to get into cacao after beans are harvested. The researchers found that the metal was typically on the outer shell of the cocoa bean, not in the bean itself. Moreover, lead levels were low soon after beans were picked and removed from pods but increased as beans dried in the sun for days. During that time, lead-filled dust and dirt accumulated on the beans. “We collected beans on the ground that were heavily loaded with lead on the outer shell,” DiBartolomeis says.
Because of the different ways that cadmium and lead get into chocolate, addressing the contamination requires different solutions.
For lead, that will mean changes in harvesting and manufacturing practices, says Danielle Fugere, president of As You Sow. Such practices could include minimizing soil contact with beans as they lie in the sun, and drying beans on tables or clean tarps away from roads or with protective covers, so lead-contaminated dust won’t land on them. Another option is finding ways to remove metal contaminants when beans are cleaned at factories, Fugere says.
Solving for cadmium is trickier, though it is possible, DiBartolomeis says. Carefully breeding or genetically engineering plants to take up less of the heavy metal could help, though that could take several years. Other potential options include replacing older cacao trees with younger ones, because cadmium levels tend to increase as the plants get older, and removing or treating soil known to be contaminated with cadmium.
The following are the 5 safer choices that the article suggests. CR tested these bars based on California’s MADL (max allowance dose level). They are listed in order of lead level. Remember that these bars are safer not but completely free of lead and cadmium. 文章檢驗後提出較為安全的五種黑巧克力 (如下). 檢驗標準是以加州食安的含鉛跟鎘的最大可食用量來衡量. 較為安全的這五種不是不含鉛與鎘, 而是他們各自含鉛與鎘的與最大安全食用量標準相比.
The worst would be the 5 kinds down below. Yikes! 最糟的就是這圖下五種了.
This report also reminds us that the best way to eliminate the risk is to take dark chocolate as a treat. We also need to watch out for the total daily chocolate consumption, which may include the amount we have such as hot chocolate, mocha, chocolate cake, and brownies! Besides, organic dark chocolate also contains lead and cadmium, like Theo. 文章中也有提醒, 最最好的辦法是把黑巧當作甜點偶一食之就好, 也就是說不要長時間過量吃. 還有也必須注意自己食用可可的量, 這裡說的是所有包括可可的食品如熱可可, 摩卡咖啡, 巧克力蛋糕, 布朗尼等. 另外, 即使是有機黑巧克力一樣是含有鉛跟鎘的, 如圖上Theo 的有機黑巧. 甚至都已經超過安全食用量標準許多了.
Anyways, it looks like a balanced and well-rounded diet will be the best. 🙂 看起來還是老話一句: 均衡飲食, 甚麼都可以吃一點但不過量. 採買食品上盡量吃各家不同的, 才能避免因為長期食用某不安全的食品影響了健康啊~
參考文獻Reference:
- ConsumerReports.Org: 消費者報告組織於2022年底發表的對於28種市售黑巧克力的含鉛與鎘的檢驗報告. An article that CR published about the report on 28 kinds of dark chocolates that contain lead and cadmium.
- UC-Davis: The article tells us the good and bad of dark chocolate. 分析了黑巧克力的好與壞.
- Video from KSAT 12 news: 新聞台對這篇來自消費者報告發布的文章做的報導.
Darcy Loves 2 Share : 搭喜愛分享 