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Heavy Metal in Most Chocolates May Not Pose Health Risk, Researchers Say

A worker cools chocolate during a manufacturing process in Belgium, May 15, 2024. (Reuters)
A worker cools chocolate during a manufacturing process in Belgium, May 15, 2024. (Reuters)
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Heavy Metal in Most Chocolates May Not Pose Health Risk, Researchers Say

A worker cools chocolate during a manufacturing process in Belgium, May 15, 2024. (Reuters)
A worker cools chocolate during a manufacturing process in Belgium, May 15, 2024. (Reuters)

Concentrations of heavy metals found in single servings of some chocolates and cocoa-based products are too low in most cases to pose a health risk to consumers, research set to be published on Thursday in the journal Frontiers shows.

Some consumer groups and independent test agencies have previously reported heavy metal contamination in cocoa products such as dark chocolate, with possible causes being the type of soil where cocoa is grown and industrial processing.

Yet researchers at the George Washington University School of Medicine and ConsumerLab.com found that 70 of the 72 cocoa-containing products they analyzed fell below limits set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for lead contamination.

They said the findings of their study showed the products may not pose a health risk when consumed as single servings, though larger portions could exceed strict California limits set in a law known as Prop 65.

The recommended single serving for chocolate is about 1 oz to 2 oz (30 gm to 60 gm).

"If contaminated products as a whole are consumed in small amounts and infrequently by most, these contaminants may not be a public health concern," read the paper, which concluded with a call for more testing of consumer products.

"In contrast, if many such products are consumed fairly regularly by the average consumer, the additive exposure may be a public health concern."

US chocolate industry group the National Confectioners Association said the research confirms that "chocolate and cocoa are safe to eat and can be enjoyed as treats as they have been for centuries."

The long-running research analyzed 72 products for potential contamination with heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and arsenic in four different cohorts in 2014, 2016, 2019 and 2022.

"Median concentrations of each metal tested were lower than even the conservative Prop 65," they added, referring to the strict California legislation on food contamination used as a benchmark for the study.

"However, consuming some of the products tested, or more than one serving per day in combination with non-cocoa derived sources ... may add up to exposure that would exceed the Prop 65 (limits)."

The researchers used the California legislation because it sets limits on contamination for the three types of heavy metals tested, while the FDA regulation only sets limits for lead.

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Varieties

Residents Warned 'Crocs Everywhere' after North Australia Floods

In this photo provided by Australian Reptile Park, its manager Billy Collett holds a freshwater crocodile caught in a creek near Newcastle, Australia, Monday, March 2, 2026. (Chloe Burgess-Jones/Australian Reptile Park via AP)
In this photo provided by Australian Reptile Park, its manager Billy Collett holds a freshwater crocodile caught in a creek near Newcastle, Australia, Monday, March 2, 2026. (Chloe Burgess-Jones/Australian Reptile Park via AP)
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Residents Warned 'Crocs Everywhere' after North Australia Floods

In this photo provided by Australian Reptile Park, its manager Billy Collett holds a freshwater crocodile caught in a creek near Newcastle, Australia, Monday, March 2, 2026. (Chloe Burgess-Jones/Australian Reptile Park via AP)
In this photo provided by Australian Reptile Park, its manager Billy Collett holds a freshwater crocodile caught in a creek near Newcastle, Australia, Monday, March 2, 2026. (Chloe Burgess-Jones/Australian Reptile Park via AP)

Police in Australia's Northern Territory warned of "crocs everywhere" on Sunday and said they had moved more than a thousand people across the state into shelter after massive floods.

The state has endured heavy rains over the weekend, with the town of Katherine experiencing its worst flooding since 1998.

Police evacuated more than a thousand people across the territory on Saturday, with helicopters and aircraft deployed to communities in remote areas.

"It doesn't get much bigger," police incident control acting commander Shaun Gill told journalists.

He said "at least" 90 homes were without power and warned residents against swimming in the waters.

"There is crocs absolutely everywhere. Please don't go in the water. The message is quite clear," AFP quoted him as saying.

"Don't swim in the water for two reasons: it's a fast flowing river, and also, this is where crocs are most active."

Assistant police commissioner Travis Wurst also warned residents of Katherine not to "do something silly" and jump in the water.

He warned of "crocodiles and other things that will make your life difficult.”

A number of schools will remain closed into Monday due to the flooding, Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said.

More than 100,000 saltwater and freshwater crocodiles are estimated to be living across northern Australia.

The vast Northern Territory is one of the country's most sparsely populated areas and is frequently hit with extreme weather.

Researchers have repeatedly warned that climate change amplifies the risk of natural disasters such as bushfires, floods and cyclones.

Varieties

Meghan Markel's Lifestyle Brand Ends Partnership with Netflix

The Duchess of Sussex in her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan (Netflix)
The Duchess of Sussex in her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan (Netflix)
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Meghan Markel's Lifestyle Brand Ends Partnership with Netflix

The Duchess of Sussex in her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan (Netflix)
The Duchess of Sussex in her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan (Netflix)

The Duchess of Sussex's lifestyle brand has ended its partnership with Netflix, it has been announced, according to BBC.

‘As ever’ was launched by Meghan last year and supported financially by the streaming giant, in a separate deal to that of her TV content.

On Friday, both As ever and Netflix released statements confirming that the duchess's brand would become fully independent.

It follows last year's announcement of a much watered-down relationship between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Netflix over producing TV series for the platform, BBC said.

A spokesperson for As ever said it was grateful for the partnership with Netflix during the brand's first year, adding: “We have experienced meaningful and rapid growth and As ever is now ready to stand on its own.”

For its part, Netflix said in a statement: “Meghan's passion for elevating everyday moments in beautiful yet simple ways inspired the creation of the As ever brand, and we are glad to have played a role in bringing that vision to life.”

It added, “As it was always intended, Meghan will continue growing the brand and take it into its next chapter independently.”

As ever, best known for its jam, sells products including teas, shortbread cookies and flower sprinkles.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed a contract with Netflix in 2020 to produce TV and films for the streaming platform, believed to be worth about $100 million (£75 million).

Meghan’s lifestyle and cookery show - With Love, Meghan - ran for two series and a Christmas special but did not perform well with audiences.

Netflix figures showed that the first series was not in the streaming service's top 300 most popular shows in the first half of 2025.

After the contract ended last summer, it was replaced by a “first look deal” which gives Netflix first dibs on any new proposed shows from Meghan and the Duke of Sussex.

Varieties

Sri Lankan Baker to Supply Elysée Palace with Baguette

Sithamparappillai Jegatheepan won the prestigious prize for best traditional French baguette (Instagram)
Sithamparappillai Jegatheepan won the prestigious prize for best traditional French baguette (Instagram)
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Sri Lankan Baker to Supply Elysée Palace with Baguette

Sithamparappillai Jegatheepan won the prestigious prize for best traditional French baguette (Instagram)
Sithamparappillai Jegatheepan won the prestigious prize for best traditional French baguette (Instagram)

In a big surprise, a baker from Sri Lanka clinched the prestigious prize for best traditional French baguette, which comes with a €4,000 prize and the right to supply the Elysée Palace with fresh loaves every morning, according to The Telegraph.

Sithamparappillai Jegatheepan, 43, works at the Fournil Didot bakery in the 14th arrondissement. He is Sri Lankan, and so are his two deputy bakers.
“It was a big surprise. It was my first time and I won straight away. I’m very proud,” he told The Telegraph.

Every year since 1994, the city of Paris and the Greater Paris Bakers’ Union convene to elect the grand prix de la baguette de tradition française de la ville de Paris (grand prize for the traditional French baguette of Paris).

A jury of experts, councilors, aficionados and laymen munch through hundreds of loaves from among the capital’s 1,100 boulangeries, before homing in on a winner.

The rules are strict.

Each baguette has to weigh between 250 and 270g, measure between 50 and 55 centimeters, and not exceed a salt content of 1.4 grams per 100 grams. Some 29 bakeries were disqualified this year.

“There is a score for appearance, another score for baking, a third score for alveolation, one for taste and a fifth for smell,” said Pascal Barillon, former laureate, vice president of the Greater Paris bakers’ union and a jury member for this year’s award.

The best baguettes, he said, have a crisp crust and a regular “honeycomb” crumb inside, with small, evenly distributed holes rather than large gaps followed by dense patches.

Color also plays a role: “Ideally you’re looking for a slightly golden crumb,” he said, explaining that a faint yellow hue can indicate careful fermentation and less kneading, which helps preserve flavor and aroma.

The baguettes that finished on the podium this year, he added, all shared the same qualities: “A beautiful interior, a regular crumb, a good color and they were well baked.”

In the end, however, the craft of baguette-making remains something of a mystery. “It’s a bit of alchemy,” Barillon said. “Every baker has their own personal touch.”

For Jegatheepan, it is a dream come true. After arriving in France from Sri Lanka in 2003, he started out with pastry, specializing in macarons, before moving on to bread.

Setting up his own business in 2018, he has since perfected his craft and turned it into a passion and now owns two boulangeries. This one sells 600 traditional baguettes per day at €1.30 a piece. Business has surged since the prize.

“I didn’t know anything about baking. I had never thought about it,” he told The Telegraph. “Then one day, when I tasted bread and pastries in France, I said to myself, ‘this is what I want to do’.”

Martin du Vachat, 41, a classical singer, said: “The award is well deserved. It’s golden and very beautiful. It’s a pleasure for the eyes and all the senses.”
“That said, you have to eat it quickly, because five hours later it’s not worth much. You should tell that to the Élysée.”

The bakery has not yet begun supplying the presidential palace, which generally orders 20-25 baguettes every morning.

Despite mastering the art of that most Gallic of gastronomic traditions, Jegatheepan doesn’t yet have French nationality.

“My request is being processed,” he said, confessing that perhaps this accolade would accelerate the procedure.